RP:A Stitch in Time
This is a Mage's Guild RP.
Summary: Odhranos enlists the help of old friends and new acquaintances alike to investigate and quell the threat of an unfolding rift in time itself, hidden in the depths of Rynvale's Fog Forest. But things are not always as they seem, especially surrounding chronomancy and the foul meddlings of Vuryal, Lord of Time and foul Emperor of the long dead Archmosian Empire.
Fog Covered Path
Odhranos strode slowly into the fog, spreading his hands wide as streamers of fetid mist curled between his fingers. The fog lay thick enough in places that you felt like you could almost reach out and grab a handful. Shivering involuntarily, the mage closed his eyes and let the world grow dim around him. Behind his eyes, he could see the world in the ways of a terramancer, earth and stone rendered in tones of grey and silver. But something strange was afoot, his vision seemed to waver and distort, as if something... something powerful within the forest was twisting magic in the area of it's malignant control. Taking a deep breath, the terramancer steeled himself for what was yet to come; the Guild had spoken at length to him about the dangers that a rift in time would entail, and yet here he was, about to stride into the unknown. It was no wonder people thought mages were mad.
Alvina found herself in Rynvale after receiving word from Odhranos that something else was amiss. They were becoming quite the work chums! She always had mixed feelings about Rynvale, for it’s where the time leech Vuryal had once imprisoned her. Being in the fog covered forest only strengthen the willies. Oh boy, it’s creep-tastic here. She’s wearing her usual garb; High neck navy dress with matching stockings tucked into snow white boots. The cloak that circled her shoulders was the same muted navy tone, clasped with a silver broach. Her golden left arm flexed it’s metallic digits with anticipation. The air felt thick and syrupy with magic, she could feel it in her bones. The mage was ahead, she saw the flutter of his garments through the thick mist or maybe it was a trick of the forest to make her –think- she did. “Odhranos?” She called, wading through the moisture on the balls of her feet.
Vilda is too tall for a gnome, yet she doesn't look entirely dwarven either. In this fog however, appearances are difficult to make out, and Vilda's approach is even further muted as she cautiously sneaks through the dense, swirling mess around her. The forest also provides cover from anything wanting to reach out and eat her, or her small elven friend walking to Vilda's left, not to mention being 4'7" tall helps to pass beneath the notice of giants or orcs, "Please no giant spiders.. please no giant spiders.." She quietly whispers her aimless prayer over, and over to no god, or goddess in particular. Her accent is rather high class sounding, perhaps Cenrilian? The elven woman beside her, standing at 5'2" tall, and dressed in similar fashion to her rogue friend sighs, "Not going to help Vilda.. I told you this wouldn't be worth it. Ogre grave robbing? Troll caern hunting?! This is not what a Rynvale vacation is supposed to..-" Vilda cuts her off, "Ssshhh.. we are supposed to be whispering and sneaking.." The two continue down the path, which hopefully leads back into town..
Aake stands in the trees, off of the path some small distance. His tattered and stained leather clothing blends easily with the surrounding foliage, his figure made yet more difficult to see by the heavy fog. His head tilts to one side as he hears the sound of voices and footsteps, his nose wrinkling as if sniffing at the air. On silent feet he steps forward, closing in on the small group, curiosity driving him on. He pauses a few yards away, not troubling to hide himself from them, but not broadcasting his presence either.
Pilar had, like Alvina, received word from Odhranos about mysterious happenings. Though she was loath to leave her patients (especially one naga in particular), she hated to disappoint anyone. And so she flew to Rynvale on the back of her couatl, dressed in a beige tunic, brown boots, and black pants. She had about her waist a belt with a number of pouches, containing vials of potion and other trinkets. She landed outside the city and bid her mount to do as she pleased until she was called for. Emielle soared off, and Pilar ventured into the thick fog.
Linn wouldn't normally be found this far out east, especially with the boat ride needed to get here, but a little letter from his former jar-mate Odhranos was it took to get him out here. Maybe the last ones got lost in the stacks of paperwork that inundated him as a fledgling official, leaving him wondering what in the heck had happened to the terramancer. The sound of lightly rustling scale would give away his position as he traveled through the fog, once more wearing his old mithril armor, save for the sleeve and plates over his right arm, which had been forgone to expose the cloudy blue sapphire replacement in its place and openly display the magical marionette-work that strung the levitating stones into the form of a limb. The only cover to it was a padded leather wrap around the forearm, which he held forward to clear his way through the fog into… whatever he was about to get himself into.
Irenic enters the scene looking rather bored with a rather large satchel thrown over a shoulder, but the sight of Pilar and that Alvina girl he’s been looking for stops him as he was on his way to get his armor cleaned from last week’s adventure. The satchel sort of smells from the stench of rotting horse corpses. A bored expression takes over his face as the night feels the same as when they fought those horses. “Merde,” he mumbles under his breath. He hears as Odhranos called out for Alvina and sort of recognizes him, but doesn’t call any attention to himself as he sets his satchel down in order to start taking the armor pieces out one by one and assemble them on… Just in case, but sort of scowling the entire time because they sort of stink.
Odhranos turned towards the voice that called out from the mists, though as distance and direction were greatly masked by the smothering mists, he turned in what he assumed was the direction of the voice. "Alvina!" The mage waded through the fog, then decided that enough was enough and summoned a small sphere of flame that hovered near waist-height in front of him. As the heat from the orb pulsed outwards, it caused some of the stagnant air to rise, dispelling the mist in a small area around the mage as he honed in on Alvina's whereabouts. He smiled as he caught sight of the blacksmith, then smiled further as he noticed both Pilar and Linn standing not far behind, who he beckoned to join him. "Fantastic, there you are. It is good to see you all again. I’m glad to have your assistance in this matter. I’m unsure how bad a situation we might be dealing with, but if the Guild's records of Vuryal's doings are anything to go by, then we have a dangerous task on our hands. I called in all the help I could get" The terramancer grimaced, his letters hadn't contained much information, he had been instructed to keep the operation as airtight as possible, and letters could easily be intercepted. “Apparently we are dealing with a nasty side effect of his machinations, a symptom of Vuryal’s meddling with time. A rift has opened within the forest. A rift in time.”
Alvina was surprised to find Odhranos right within range. She smiled and waved as he addressed the rest of those gathered. She'd come from Chartsend, after a quick stop in Cenril. Pilar is given a wave, as well as Irenic? What a surprise! Several familiar faces but even more exciting, some she'd never before seen. When the mage goes on to explain -why- they are here, Alvina nods. "I'm not surprised...the time leech caused enough trouble without ripping apart the fabric of the world. His influence is ever lasting." What a pain. She stretched her arms overhead as if preparing for some strenuous physical activity and looked around at the seemingly quiet forest as if her humanoid eyes might spot a literal 'rip' in a patch of trees or a section of gloomy
Vilda stares as her elf friend stops suddenly, "Mellie..." She begins slowly, knowing that the elf has much better hearing than she does, "..what is it?" Mellie listens for a moment before widening her eyes, "Vilda I just heard people over.." She points, "..there. They are talking about a.. time rift?" Vilda's eyes twitch with a sigh following, "Loda's Mug what have we stumbled into this time? Time rift? I really don't think we want to know what that is. Honestly ninety nine percent of the time I am glad that I can't grow a beard, but right now a bearded forest dweller appearing to jump out of a stone, screaming, and shaking a stick at fog cultists would be a really handy thing to be right now.." She finally looks at Mellie for the first time since she started panicking, only to find that her friend is staring at her blankly, "That.. really wouldn't work would it?" She leans forward over a small ledge, using her walking stick for balance, "I bet someone over there can probably hear us by now. Sneak around or accept the fact that we've likely be detected.. those are our choices.."
Aake 's keen ears catch Odhranos' words, and he cannot keep himself from moving closer still, leaving the safe cover of the trees. He, too, has felt the unsettling presence in the woods, a sickening feeling that he cannot quite define, but that hovers on the edge of his mind, setting him on edge. His pale blue eyes flit from one figure to the next, swiftly commiting their features to memory, along with the names he hears spoken.
Pilar smiled at Alvina and Linn. It was nice to see them again. The smile quickly faded when Odhranos explained why they were there. “A... a what? How... how are we supposed to fix--” She stopped suddenly, her sensitive vampire ears picking up on Vilda and Mellie's conversation. She looked in their direction. “Who's there?” she called.
Linn probably wouldn’t have found Odhranos if he hadn’t caught the globe of fire in the distance and homed in on it until he fully saw the mage in his old robes. All the magic hanging in the air was very nearly enough to pitch him into a daze; it wasn’t nice and free-flowing like his previous experiences. As he approached he’d hold his hand up and make a magical torch of his own to announce his approach, the fire flaring for a second before settling into the little light he wished it to be. He’d snuff it as he entered the clearing Odhranos made and taking stock of everyone here with a nod and smile of pleasant surprise. “I suppose catching up will have to wait then. Vuryal...? I’ve only heard stories of him, but it sounds like we’re in for uhh…” He’d toss up his hands with a shrug. He had nothing, and was preparing for some more explanation until Pilar called out a couple figures in the mists, bringing his head whirling around, looking for something that –wasn’t- just another whorl in the air.
Odhranos listened to his companion's words and nodded solemnly. "Likewise, I have only heard of Vuryal from what I could glean from the Mage's Library. But what I did learn.... wasn't promising. I don't know how we are to seal this rift, but we must find a way. It is my hope that if we can locate the rift, we have some slight more hope of finding a solution. However, there is more." The mage pulled a tightly rolled scroll from his robes, emblazoned with the Guild's lamen. Unrolling it, he cast his eyes across the cursive script. "There have been reports, of ghostly figures surrounding the rift, they were what first drew the Guild's attention. It is assumed they are connected as they appeared around the same time." The mage looked ready to continue before his head snapped to where Pilar had glanced and where whispered voices had been heard. Glancing concernedly around the group, he elected to stride in the direction the voices had been heard, fist-sized flaming sphere cutting through the mist before him.
Alvina looked towards the direction Pilar was turned towards, watching with emerald eyes as the mage moved forward in the fog. Her crimson curls were bound back in a loose braid, several sections cutting into her peripheral view but she caught glances of Aake from where he stood and Linn, how had she missed (misted? Get it?) him before?? "Did you finally get out from that stack of official paperwork?" She whispered to her co-Frostmaw official, not too concerned with what Odhranos was investigating for several reasons. If it's the portal, well...she'll know the looks of it. Had seen the Time Lord's work before. If it was ghostly figures? Maybe it would be someone she knew! With where her head had been lately, she welcomes the distraction of the unknown. "Pilar?" She tried to wave the vampire over so she could be closer to the group that stood in a semi-circle (ish) while the Mage looked for voices in the fog. "It's not a good idea to split up." She offered, to none in particular with the goal of discouraging anyone from following him. "Linn? Do you have anything that could conjure a flame so he could find his way back to us?" When she asks, she's grinning, clearly confident in his abilities to produce almost any wacky device.
Vilda twitches as voices shout out from the fog... at them. The half-dwarf looks to Mellie, "It looks like the choice has been made for us my dear Mellie..-" The rest of whatever fear-inspired humorous response she had planned is cut short as a fire ball shoots towards them. It's fast but the rogue is used to be shot at by.. things. As such she is able to leap out of the way, using her walking stick to vault into the air, and side flip over the 6 foot ledge, landing at the bottom crouched, the tough walking stick planting into the ground to soften the short fall. Mellie was also able to get out of the way but via a backflip and sideroll in the opposite direction. Vilda chooses not to draw her crossbow, because MAGE. She also decides not to slip on the recently acquired ring of ogre strength she pilfered from a troll cairn, which might have help her leap and dash away faster? Vilda sighs and mutters to herself, "Talking my way out of this seems to be the only option that might just let me walk away with my pretty face intact.." She stands up and waves her arms, "Don't shoot! Nice mage? Wizard? Necromancer cultist?" Quieter she pleads, "Please don't be a necromancer cultist.." She continues, "I am -not- in league with this.. time rift thing! I don't even know what that is!" She slowly wanders closer and is now visible to the group. As Mellie also starts to approach from the other side of the ledge, Vilda closes her explanation, "Vilda Torgens! Rogue, opener of all things locked, and hopefully soon to be businesswoman!" She looks over to Mellie, "This is my friend and associate Mellie, who doesn't need to open her mouth yet.." Mellie hugs herself nervously and keeps quiet.
Aake observes the group's interaction with Vilda and Mellie, and comes to the conclusion that it might perhaps be wise to announce himself sooner rather than later, especially given the reason for the gathering. He clears his throat before calling out a greeting in a voice roughened by disuse. He brushes unkempt black hair from his face, then holds his arms out to either side a bit, hands empty and spread to show that he is unarmed, approaching the group at a slow but steady pace.
Pilar took a few steps closer to Alvina, watching Odhranos leave. She glanced at Linn. “Paperwork?” What had he been up to lately? “If Linn can't, I can. I've been practicing pyromancy a little.” Speaking of, Odhranos seemed to have decided to just randomly throw a fireball at people. Oh, Odhie. [laugh track] When Vilda and Mellie revealed themselves, Pilar frowned. Thieves. She didn't have a problem with stealing to survive, but to be so open about it... Her eyes went to Aake as he revealed himself in turn. “Who... who are you?”
Linn nodded with an approving smile as Odhranos put forward a plan of action, though it quickly faded as he realized that if he found the rift, it was probably going to be by walking into it in all this magical mud. The mention of ghostly figures brought a frown. Spirits? Time phantoms, maybe? As unappealing as the possibilities were sounding this was very rapidly progressing into the zone of ‘let’s just see.’ Alvina took his mind off of it with the mention of paperwork, which brought about an exaggerated eyeroll from the enchanter. “Writing left-handed SUCKS.” Was all he’d respond with before suddenly cracking a grin. “Though there are ways around it…” When she asked about making something to conjure up a flame Linn just smiled and waved his flesh-and-blood hand before raising it up, biting his lip a little as a fire flared into existence between his fingers with a bright flash, settling back down to a steady light with a few powerless curses under the enchanter’s breath. Something about the ambient magic. “We don’t need any devices for little cantrips.” He’d declare, despite the very obvious issues his form of fire was having in this area. The question of paperwork brought a small shrug. “I’m officially a royal engineer now, or something.” He’d turn to watch the unfamiliar faces, thieves and wanderers alike. For now he’d leave the others to do the talking. Hands full of fire probably aren’t the best to wave around during conversation.
Irenic followed behind the small group of them at a decent distance because his armor still smells a bit, but with his good eye he keep a lookout for anything out of place. Ghostly figures usually stand out to him pretty easy, but how come when you actually want to find them they are nowhere to be found. His visor covered most of his face from his point and he keeps to himself until he hears someone complain about left-handedness which causes him to chuckle shortly. He couldn’t imagine having to write with his right hand, though. Quiet, alert and ready he continues to wait for any action to actually start.
Odhranos quickly discovered the source of the voices. A lot quicker than he had intended. The ball of fire he had sent off to scout ahead was sent veering upwards before the mage wisely snuffed it out, lest they have a forest fire on top of everything. "Oh Sven blast it, I am so so sorry, greatest apologies ma'ams." The mage spluttered, almost bowing as his obsessive politeness took the wheel. After settling himself, he stood a few paces from the pair, holding his empty palms up in a sign of peace. "I promise, I am no raving cultist. I'm just a bit on edge, I'm terribly sorry." The mage pressed a hand to his chest in indication. "Odhranos Kerrigan, Terramancer of the Mage's Guild of Xalious." After all the introductions had been made, the mage settled a concerned gaze on the pair. "I should warn you, there is a magical disturbance of significant danger in this area. I must advise that you do not venture through this area without an escort." Odhranos grey eyes seemed to cast over with thought, before glinting happily when an idea occured. "Given the circumstances, I would ask... would you mind assisting in this investigation? Someone with skills of your... profession are not commonly easy to come by, we may require assistance. What would you say?"
Alvina wishes she could bundle Pilar, Odhranos and Linn's skills with magic up in a little package and carry them with her always. How amazing to be a magic user! Instead, her magic was limited to rune work and healing. How semi-boring. When Aake clears his throat and approaches, Pilar asks who he is and she turns to hear his answer while trying to assess if he was a threat somehow. Her own introduction is delayed until the others arrived. Vilda and her elven companion appear. "Alvina Landon," She lifts her fleshed right hand to expose her palm to those present. It felt silly, as some already knew her. "Royal Frostmaw Engineer and Eyrie member." When Odhranos asks the women to join them, the bard spins around, suddenly quiet and listening, - straining- rather to hear something. The forest around them becomes dead quiet. Her gaze falls on the Mage while her brow furrows in concern.
Vilda blinks a bit, "Well.. an offer for help is extended instead of a withered, bony hand summoning undead from the mists.." She chuckles nervously, "Sorry.. I ramble when things get awkward.. but yes I can help.. provided that this time rift isn't the end of the world because I will need to spend this time looking for another world if that's the case." She elbows Mellie who meeps, "Yes.. we will help!
Pilar wasn't about to offer her name. She was silent, until her head whipped around to face the west. “Yozenra...” she whispered. She had bonded the naga to her, and could feel her fading, where she had been stable before. She looked to Odhranos and the others. “I-I'm sorry, but I... I have to get back to Chartsend. Yozenra needs me!” She turned and ran from the fog, calling out to Emielle. The couatl landed within seconds, and they took off for the frontier town.
Linn couldn’t help but snicker a little bit at Odhranos’s outburst before settling out with a thoughtful sigh. When the terramancer offered for the rogues to help he tilted his head a little before turning to eye the pair up. He’d probably have to watch his pack a bit more from now on, or hope the good will (or mage-fear) of the rogues holds out. “Linn” he’d offer his name up, little thing it was in light of the others. Pilar’s leave left him a little confused at first until some of the possibilities clicked, bringing about an understanding nod as she took off.
(Dergious floats in the mists, thanks to a Elixir-of-Ethereal-Form. He hangs, translucent and silent, listing to and fro with the winds. All around the party, soft lights play in the distance. To some they could be torches while others might imagine the eyes of predators watching, waiting. The dwarf's dirty fingers raise to his lips and insert an odd whistle, and when blown the sounds is not at all what one might expect. It is a deep, churning sound that bounces through the fog, coming from nowhere and everywhere. It is a haunting, throbbing thrum that the most sensitive might feel as if it is coming from within their own chests. The lights move, disappear only to reappear a few moments later a few feet away.)
Odhranos smiled as the rogues accepted his offer, but it soon faded to dismay as Pilar took off with little notice. He didn't blame her, she had her hands full with the epidemic in Chartsend, it was challenge enough to convince her to leave her patients. He mentally wished her luck through the faint mental bond they shared, before he froze as the silence that had caught Alvina's attention settled around them, amplifying every breath. "Something is wrong, we need to move fast." The mage hissed, before sparking up another fireball to clear the mists as he took point, forging off into the foggy treeline.
Alvina clutches her satchel strap and takes a step back into empty space. The lights are dazzling but terrifying. Another moment of hesitation before she behind the mage, keeping a careful eye ahead and behind to make sure the rest of the party follows.
Vilda shrugs as she follows everyone else, Mellie in tow, "Can't say I was looking forward to the food at Rynvale's inn anyhow.. the shellfish smelled... off last night." Mellie mutters, "We shouldn't be getting mixed up in this.." Vilda elbows Mellie again, "Shut it.. do you really want to trek back to Rynvale at this rate? We don't even know where we are because the maps fell into that ogre's hut! Unless you want to trifle past a sleeping ogre and dig them out I suggest we follow the the heavily armed friends we found.."
Linn continued to hold his torch as the party reconvened, following up the tail of the party with his own fire. A silence. A thrum. Lights. It was almost tempting to reach out and touch them as they drew near. You know what, it would be best to keep one’s limbs this time. Given just how unstable his little fire was next thing these little wisps were going to explode if touched. “Maybe you’ll come across those maps in another time huh?” Because let’s joke about Vuryal’s work. That’s going to go well.
Irenic continues to meander behind quietly and with his hand at the hilt of is Raven hilted sword. The lights are ignored for now, if they are harming him then there is no need to harm them; like a bee or something.
Odhranos trudged onward as the mists ebbed and flowed like some sort of ethereal tide. The lights that had sprung up following the sudden silence were enchanting to the mage, but also caused a thrill of both excitement and anxiety to buzz through his body. Unexplainable magic, sudden disturbances, lights where no lights should be... this was definitely the right way. No doubt such occurrences would increase the closer they got to the rift. One step after another, Odhranos led the party deeper into the woods before suddenly, he flung out a hand to signal a stop. "Down, down!!!" He hissed, crouching low to the ground, so he was obscured by the low-lying shrubbery. Ahead, a brilliant glow began filtering through the foliage, a strange unearthly light that seared the eyes and most strangely, nothing cast a shadow from this light. Moving behind a tree, the mage found the light to shine just as brightly in his eyes as unobscured. The source of the light came into view, a tall humanoid figure, composed of light, but an angry, crackling violent light, that seemed to fight any attempt to properly discern it's boundaries. The figure stalked slowly across the clearing, seemingly unaware of the party.
Alvina felt the electric prickle of magic intensify around them. It's a chaotic feeling that she wished she always felt. It was possibility. Life. Destruction. Light and Darkness. Magic was the heart of the world and here, this rift was the open wound that allowed it through. Odhranos shouts, stirring her out of her hazy dream. What had he said? Down! The red haired bard drops to her knees in the dirt, scanning around to see the humanoid figure and wonders, for a breath, if it was someone or something from the past. Was it blending in, a creature from another lifetime pulled from it's home? Or was it something from the future? An evolution of man and magic? A perfect creation? She's entranced, crawling forward slowly and silently in the moist grass and dirt. If she touched it, what would it do?! Her engineer's mind was barely registering the risk. It was something unseen before! Imagine what it could do!
Vilda is already on the ground, crossbow whirling out, bolt already set, finger on the trigger. Mellie is crouched down to her left, "Vilda did the ogre find us?" Vilda shakes her head, "I have no idea.. I think they have mages too and.. oh no.. please don't let this time rift involve ogres.. or trolls.." She watches the dancing lights for signs of anything that has even a remote chance of not having an immunity to steel tipped bolts. It is also clear to everyone that Mellie and Vilda have no idea what they are dealing with here.
Linn followed on forward with the group until the unnatural light pierced the fog. Odhranos’s order to drop didn’t have to be given twice to the enchanter, who cut off the flame and hit the deck quickly as he could with a series of thunks from his armor. Despite being cut off however, the fire would continue to roil and twist in the ambient magic, now free from his control. Slowly, it would wink out, but perhaps not before doing something else. As the source of the light continued moving he’d get up on his elbows for a better look, having to turn his head away as he was trapped between studying the anomaly and being blinded by the brilliant golden light.
Irenic took in sight of the large… thing, and his blade was out in a second, but the mage before him motions to for them to get down so he follows suit. This is rather easy for the light titanium armor he wears and he remains silent like he has mostly this whole trek. He awaits for attacks or some sort of action for him to actually be of use.
Odhranos' eyes widen in alarm as Alvina crept out towards the creature, as if under some sort of spell. "Alvina! No, it's dangerous!" He called out, desperately trying to stop the fatally inquisitive engineer before she gave their position away to.... well whatever that thing was. But in trying to prevent it, the mage ended up doing exactly that. With a curiously unhuman twist of the head, the illuminant thing turned to face the party, before a distorted and keening shriek rent the air. The sound was piercing and Odhranos resisted the urge to cover his ears as the apparition approached. Odhranos slowly got to his feet as the vision of light stalked forward one step after another. Perhaps it was just curious, as curious as they were? The mage was one irrational thought from asking did it want to be taken to his leader when the creature suddenly darted forwards, one vibrant limb slashing through the air. Odhranos mercifully fell backwards, out of the deadly arc, but the glowing hand passed through the tree next to him, as if it had no corporeal form. Suddenly, a rippling disturbance erupted across the surface of the tree, as light and colour seemed to wash in erratic pulses across it's surface. The tree's shape began distorting rapidly, so much that the eye couldn't follow. Was it burning? Rotten? Was that a tiny sapling in it's place? Or petrified stone of a fossilized tree? With a terrible wrenching scream of noise, the colliding eventualities all snapped together and the tree winked out of existence. Entirely. "Get the hell away from it!!" Odhranos cried as the earth opened to swallow him, spitting him out a few feet out of reach.
Alvina looked the part of every mad scientist during a lightning storm. Her hair was frizzled, pulled upright but the motion of the time magic and Odhranos’ passing near her. She was still on the ground, why are you screaming man?! The bard didn’t perceive the danger but manages to avoid and witness the magical reality that...Seven hells, this thing was not a joke. If she could write a will to the party members now, she would. Dear guys I just met, ultra sorry. Peeps I already knew, you kind of figured it would end like this for me. #sorry. Now she’s racking her brain and trying to crawl away. The pulse of time energy had pulled the tree up and out and ‘through’ so where it had held the dirt together in places started to cave and create small holes in the ground. What could defeat a beast that hinged on the ledge of time?? “I think we might be better off closing the rift than fighting it?” She suggested in a shout to the Mage, who appears to be still tangling with the beast from her perspective. There would be time for apologies and compensation for mental and physical damages later, if they all still had bodies and lives to go back to when this is over.
Vilda and Mellie dive and roll away from the apparition! The half-dwarf shouts above the carnage, "You don't have to tell us twice... or once!!" She swings her crossbow around only to find that she is way in over her head. She drags Mellie behind a large boulder and the two peek their heads out only a bit to watch for more danger, "You know Mellie.. shellfish sounds nice right now. I can brave foul smelling food but..." She looks back at the apparition, "...well I think it would be safer to go back for the maps at this point." Mellie scowls, "Too late now!" The elf mocks her friend, "Oh let's follow our new heavily armed friends.. why do you think they were heavily armed to begin with?! Doltish mind you got there.. but what do you expect from a DWARF?!" The two are arguing even as chaos erupts around them.
Linn was in his own trance as he attempted to study the anomaly, missing just about everything until… oh crap its coming its comingitscomingrightforus! He was already grabbing for the nearest hand to pull them away and managed to get a hold of Alvina, his buddy in incredibly-dangerous-thing-watching. “Maybe!” he called back at her suggestion before pushing to his feet so that they could make some distance. And they’d want to, as the warping and collapsing of time found more than just the tree. Linn’s remnant flame stopped shrinking in the presence of the anomaly, the unstable fire finding more and more fuel in the coalescence. An audible hiss and crack of burning wood would pierce the air as the flames reached out, the world behind them already long burned to ash. Just when they threatened to take far more they seemed to slow and freeze out, hanging like bright red and gold fibers in the air. Only the slightest ripples in their form indicated the ready collapse of whatever metastable reality the distorted time had put them in. “Get out get out!” he’d call as he tugged the engineer away the best he could from this anomaly… and his own spell which seemed about ready to rip up all the magic around. He fumbled through the pouches on his belt with his free hand, trying to find something that might be able to disrupt or collapse this thing in some not-catastrophic way.
Irenic throws a fist sized rock at the being which probably phases right through it and he throws another while clanking his sword against his armor to cause a distraction. He cannot fly anymore, but he can leap sort of far or high so any attacks sent his way in his distraction. Leaping over shrubs or rolling under fallen trees or other obstacles. His stride his long and he’s surprisingly fast in armor while being quite tall and muscular, but his goal is to distract the thing while dodging it until the others with him come up with a game plan or close that rift.
Odhranos looked on in horror as Linn's flames took to the raw magic in the air like it was full of paraffin, mushrooming outwards to swallow up many of the trees around them. When the flames froze in time, drifting like crimson silks through the air, Odhranos glanced into the midst of the fire, hoping beyond hope that whatever the creature was, it hadn't survived the conflagration. His hope turned to despair as sheets and prongs of ice crunched to the ground, the magic had distorted around the being to such a degree that the flames had frozen solid. The creature let out another ear-piercing shriek as it hunched over, seeking out it's next prey. It cast about aimlessly until one of Irenic's stones came close enough to almost hit it. With a small puff of temporal uncertainty, the rock transmuted itself into a small white rabbit, which then turned in on itself and shrank to an infinitely improbable point before disappearing. Odhranos' mind was a blur, magic was useless against it, and clearly close quarters was out of the question. Irenic had the right idea though, mundane yet ranged, that rock had gotten pretty close before distorting. If only they had something that could fire a projectile faster. Like a bow. Or a crossbow.... Odhranos glanced across at Vilda, who was engaged in argument with her companion, and let out the most un-Odhranos like roar. "Shoot that damned thing!!!"
Alvina was happy to, as Linn and Odhranos both suggested ‘get out / away’. It’s so hard to be a scientist, she thinks as she’s watching the tree catch on fire in the most peculiar and interesting way. It’s -so- tempting to try and push herself through the hole. Where would she go? Could she tether herself to some part of the fluid landscape and actually survive going back in time or would she be like the tree? The portal rending her from all current, past and present time lines. It’s so fascinating!!! "Yeah! Shoot it!" She cheers!
Vilda is certainly in a rather heated shouting-fest with Mellie, "...before I THROW you into that time rafter.. drift.. THING!" But the argument is cut short when Odhranos shouts at Vilda to... shoot the thing she should be running from? The half-dwarf aims and shoots at the creature before shrugging, "WHY?!" She shouts, proving that even she can shoot first and ask questions later, "Is this a joke?!" She whirls back towards Mellie, "We are never... ever leaving Cenril again..."
Linn ’s eyes went wide with a little twitch as he saw the full results of that little torch of his blowing up into some window to its own reality. A quick glance at Alvina told him just about everything he needed to know. “No. Not even touching that thing!” If she was listening close enough she’d be able to catch a little ‘yet’ escape the enchanter on the tail end of that order though. When the terramancer called to shoot the big golden time-warpy-thing he wound up pitching in too… with rocks. He was fumbling with his pouches again as Vilda loosed her bolt before deciding to just pull and chuck one at the thing for great science as well. A loud crack signaled that the stone throw certainly wasn’t anything ordinary, the rock going about as fast as the fired bolt. What was the worst that could happen?”
Irenic continues his obstacle course around the clearing like some track runner and every chance he got he would acquire a rock. He would wait and throw it at an opportune time when other projectiles were being hurled at the thing because who knows, maybe the thing can only focus on one thing at a time. He knows of magic and abilities, but cannot cast a single thing and just keeps running, leaping, dodging, and rolling until -someone-, -ANYONE- comes up with an actual plan. He doesn’t know just how long he can keep this charade up.
Odhranos pitched in as only a terramancer could, flinging rocks straight out of the earth. Most of the barrage of rocks simply poofed out of existence once they got close, but suddenly, in quick succession, one of Irenic's rocks and one of Odh's struck home, hitting the creature in it's illuminant shoulderblades, knocking it forwards, at the same time that Vilda's bolt was loosed. The wooden haft of the bolt shivered and transmuted into a bouqet of flowers, but the steel tip continued on with deadly force, crunching solidly into the sternum of the time-wraith with a final crunch. Silence suddenly weighed heavily on the glade, as the creature's glowing corpse seemed to fall to the ground with in slow motion. As it fell, it's distortions became slower and slower, it's definition growing with each moment. Once the body collapsed onto the dirt, it had fully resolved itself into what seemed to be an utterly normal man. A soldier, judging by his attire, but of no army Odhranos recognized. Breathing out a sigh, he turned to Vilda. "That's why." He panted, before slowly approaching the body and then turning it over with one foot, so that the sightless blue eyes of the very mundane soldier looked to the sky.
Alvina cried out as the apparition takes form before then. Thank Sven for all present because Alvina was useless in combat! But! This time, she knows something. "It's!" She shouts, dodging away from Linn in case he tries to stop her. That crest, she knew it! "The Archmosian Empire!" She points, standing next to Odhranos near the flipped body. "It's one of Vuryal's soldiers..." from so very long ago. The bard clasped her hands together, looking tentatively towards the mage. "First Jaize, now this?" She looks to the others gathered. "Is The Archmosian Empire... Trying to rise again?"
Vilda blinks.. and then blinks again as the monster falls to the ground.. and then turns into a man, "That... worked...? And it was just... a person?" She is way in over her head again. Turning to Mellie, "So when we sell all the... um.. flowers we picked? We should definitely look into -fully- steel bolts. They don't even have to be steel, just metal of some kind, because.." She looks back at the corpse, "...it seems that sticks and stones don't break -everyone's- bones.." Turning back to the group, "So.. this.. man? Is this who was responsible for the time.. whatever?"
Linn was pulling another stone to throw at the anomaly, only to find it collapsing as he readied another pitch. His arm was raised to pitch it right through the thing’s skull but… that didn’t seem necessary anymore. Once the thing seemed to finally stabilize he dropped down to sit and catch his breath. He tried to reach out to catch Alvina as she took off but, well, that was absolutely useless. “Humanoid shape is actually a human…” he muttered, more surprised than anything. This was going in the notes of ‘weird, important stuff.’ Quite helpful for dealing with these kinds of situations. As time collapsed into determinate forms the frozen fire suddenly sprung back into activity with a light ‘woosh,’ only to immediately burn out without any more ambient magic to feed on. However its little pocket of reality remained, full of char and ash from an unknown age. Rising back to his feet he stepped forward to examine the body with the others. “What is this empire?” More things he only knew from rumors, but nothing concrete. Nothing like this.
Irenic is finally allowed to stop running and providing a distraction so he seethed his sword and bend at the waist so his hands were on his knees while cursing at himself through a cough fit, “I really need to lay off the smokes.” A hard pull to his helmet and exposed his tawny and scarred up face sporting an eyepatch over his brown eye. After tucking the helmet under his arm he meanders his way over to the group and looks down at the thing which was causing all this trouble was actually a man, “... How mundane.” His gruff and low timbre finally addresses the group he ended up in, but when he sees Alvina he gives her a devilish smirk and a nod. “How are you?”
Odhranos reached out and tugged gently at what was left of the crossbow bolt, now a rather tasteful bunch of wildflowers that protruded quite macabrely out of the hole in the mans chest. Chewing his lip thoughtfully, the mage reached across and picked up the two rocks that had defied illogic by striking the time-rift-imbued soldier when they should have transmuted. As soon as he picked them up, the mage laughed. The simplicity of it! "Iron!" He cried out, laughing quite brightly, it was no doubt partially due to shock. "Iron. The most stable element in existence. No matter how many varying potentialities you may throw it through, iron will more often than not stay as iron. That's how your bolt managed to penetrate the distortions. Steel, iron and a little smidge of carbon. Ingenious." The mage shook his head, magic was always so simple in hindsight, it was almost deceptive. "As for the man, who knows. One of Vuryal's pet projects? A temporal soldier? Or maybe just an unfortunate coincidence that bound a human in a temporal rent, which then consumed him. We might never know." Odhranos shrugged as he got to his feet, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Although if it is a sign of more to come, we will want to be ready. The Archmosian Empire, if the history books are anything to go by, are not the sort of folk we want to see returning." After a moment or two, the mage shook his head, a broad smile returning to lift the aura of doom and gloom. "What say we make a tactical retreat to Rynvale's inn and... explore the potentiality of getting very very drunk? Rynvale's Guard can clean this up."
Vilda just.. blinks again at Odhranos, "So... he's vur...min who can't pay his rent? You're talking and I just.. don't get it.. you wizards and your whirling words. Just make sense!" She looks at Mellie and then back at Odhranos, "And this.. arch..ma-something empire? Should I know it? I've been in Cenril all my life. Lots of chaos has sprung up all over since I was young but.. never paid much attention outside the city walls." She -does- understand the last of the mage's words however, "I do understand inn and drunk.. and guards cleaning up the mess. The the whole lot just stand around all day and shout at people to stop lollygagging.. I mean what IS lollygagging anyway? I can gag all the lollys I want to as far as I am concerned.." She drags Mellie to her feet, "The danger is over you dandy.."
Linn pursed his lips as Odhranos spoke about the stability of iron with a slight nod. “Perhaps other stable materials could be used if this happens again? Could always see what an alchemist has to say about this one…” Iron wasn’t the only infamously stubborn material out there, but it was certainly the most applicable here. With the terramancer going over the possibilities he was searching for them himself. “If he was the source of this disturbance…” What did it mean? He shook his head and rubbed his brows “I need some damn sleep…” As Irenic made his sudden greeting Linn started again. “Where did you…?” Rocks? Were there more rocks? There were more rocks than just the ones the loud people were throwing, right? “Yeah… mundane…” he could only mutter, just drifting along at this point as he went to the aftermath of his torch gone wrong, sifting through the disintegrating blackened grass and wood. He pulled out a little pouch to put some of the char in. A keepsake from… somewhere. “You don’t want to see me getting drunk. I think I’m just going to retire for some sleep. You guys have fun though.”
Irenic waves his hand, “drinks sound nice, but I still have to get this armor washed.” He started to pull at the strings and bindings that strap his armor together while he made his way back through their trail of destruction.