The Last Gods - In Game - The Candlelight Avengers

D20Dazza · Jun 7, 2006

The Last Gods

The night air is chilly, but the crackling fire you've started warms your bones comfortably. Crickets chirp, and you smile up at the stars, glad for the quiet evening.

There is a loud roar, and you are blinded momentarily as the campfire suddenly surges up into the air. The flames split down the middle, revealing an abyss that leaches the warmth from your soul. Out of this hellish place stumbles a black-cloaked figure clutching a sythe. Quickly you reach for your weapons.

The strange apparition staggers for a moment. Then, gathering its strength, it pulls back the hood on its cloak. Beneath is a blackened skull with stars for eyes.

"I am Azrael, Lord of the Undead" it hisses. "Or rather, I will be Azrael, after time itself has died."

Even as Azrael speaks, decay begins to eat away at its body, and the god shudders. Holding one arm up to watch as tiny fissures form in its bones, the deity sighs, "Ah, sweet Entropy, come to claim me at last."

Its gaze sweeps back to you. "But no, not just yet. First, I must set events in motion."

Weakness begins to overcome Azrael, and it sinks to one knee. "Long ago, I became the most powerful of all the gods, in spite of my enemies' efforts to stop me. Delirious with power, I destroyed the other gods and eventually fell to feasting upon the souls of their worshippers. After devouring every living creature, I consumed the planets and, eventually, the stars themselves, until I was left alone, in darkness."

The god struggles to finish its message as its bones turn to dust and blow away, "Unexpectantly, I felt remorse for what I had done. I grieved for the universe I had destroyed, but I lacked the power to recreate it. So, I have come to you, to beg you to do what I cannot."

Azrael reaches into his cloak and produces a leather sack. "Take these items and use them."

As Azrael dissolves, it gasps out, "Kill me tonight, or tomorrow will never dawn."

All that remains is a pile of dust and a leather bag.

Bront · Jun 7, 2006

Damien looks around at his companions and then bravely pokes at the sack for a moment with his rapier before picking it up and looking inside.

Ferrix · Jun 7, 2006

"Hold there Damien, we doth not know what perils may lie within. I would not care to have lost such a fine companion to a bag of tricks, thus pass it to me and I shall brave what is within."

He gestures for the bag from his companion, his eyes holding that utter lack of fear for his preservation and only for the protection of his companions.

Turin's archaic and flowery speech has become more an idiosyncracy of his character than a pretence for haughtiness that most of you took it for at the beginning, it is truly just a part of his nature and the way in which he honors those around him.

Isida Kep'Tukari · Jun 7, 2006

Kori Miron, female human wu jen/candle caster

Kori starts at the appearance of Azrael, and she had been groping for her candle of dismissal in hopes of dispersing the creature from whence it came, when it spoke. She was transfixed in fascinated horror at his story, and simply stared at the bag for a minute when he finally dissolved.

"Oh... sweet flames of night..." she murmurs and rises to her feet. "Turin, please, no one doubts your bravery, but we have no idea what that creature was. I am as eager as you to prevent a tragedy of that magnitude, but we can take a moment or two to make sure all is as it appears to be," Kori says, gesturing for caution. She murmurs a bright word and passes her hand in front of her eyes, which turn silver as she invokes her spell of detection. "Show me the magics that brought Azrael here tonight, and what he gifts us with, spirits of air..."

OOC: Detect magic, looking for lingering auras from Azrael as well as any auras on the items in the bag (and the appropriate school thereof, Spellcraft +19, Knowledge (arcana) +17). Also she'll try to think hard about what what she knows about Azrael or where he might be found in this time. Knowledge (religion) +11, and Knowledge (the planes) +14.

Bront · Jun 7, 2006

--Double post---

Bront · Jun 7, 2006

"Like the last time you braved that chest? I think I can take care of this my friend."

Damien decides that caution is perhaps warented however, and searches the bag for any traps before opening it, waiting on Kori to give the ok.

OOC: Yeah, I know, unlikely, but it will keep the knight happy. Search +10

Rystil Arden · Jun 7, 2006

(OOC: Yay for knowledge skills!)

"Yes, let's wait to hear the magic. And then if we think it isn't a trick, I'll open it after everyone else backs away. Damien may be more enterprising, and Turin, you are certainly more brave, but I can best survive a nasty surprise."

*Jharvym waits for the results of Kori's spell. Assuming Azrael was not some sort of illusion, he will open the bag.*

(OOC: He will be spending 1 PP for +4 to all saves if he has to make a save. This gives him extremely high saves)

Fenris · Jun 7, 2006

"I think I may trip over you all rush to open the bag first" laughs Kerin. "Fine open it, try your luck. But if this Azreal, was indeed truthful, he would not have given us tools we are unable to use. Likewise were he deceiving us, I have no doubt our little campfire would have become a bonfire to consume us all and be devoured into the rift in the air he created. So by all means open, open it I say and let us delve the mysteries Fate has lain at our feet."

Rystil Arden · Jun 7, 2006

"I agree, pending Kori's investigation. I had gone through the same logic myself, with one extra thread. If Azrael was just an illusion created by some weaker entity, it may be possible that it is a trick."

Lord_Raven88 · Jun 8, 2006

OOC: What is the time of day, have we heard of Azreal before

As surprised as the rest Azrim leaps to his feet readies his shield and prepares to call upon his magic to defend himself, when the apparition takes no threatening actions Azrim pauses to listen to his tale then begins to speak to himself in his deep rich baritone"Hmm an interesting tale indeed, if what he says is true, then he has travelled back from the future into his past to set into motion events that will lead to his own destruction, this of course raises many questions"

Azrim begins to run his right hand through his beard in a gesture you've all come to know, means that he is thinking deeply and nearly oblivious to the outside world "Firstly time travel is not only possible, but it is possible to change events in the past, after all what would be the point in Azreal coming back to this point in time if we couldn't succeed in this endeavour, otherwise the fact that he came back would be proof of our failure in and of itself, therefore this also proves Quails theorem that there are infact an infinite number of realities, thus Azreal has left his realty where he ended up destroying everything to return to our reality, this also prove Gails theorem that not only are there an infinite number of realities but there is also a prime reality, or base reality, thus by returning to our reality at this point in time, Azreal hopes to shift the prime reality slightly onto a new track"

Beginning to pace backwards and forwards between his friend "Secondly tonight is the only chance we have to kill Azreal, obviously his plan to overthrow all of the other Gods is already set in motion, if we don't stop him now he will succeed and everything and everyone we know and love will be gone"

Coming to a stop over the remains of Azreal "Thirdly Azreal knows that this realties version of himself won't listen to reason otherwise he would have appeared directly to his past self and explained matters, he knows that it is only after destroying this universe will he come to know regret, thus it is pointless for us to try to reason with the current incarnation of Azreal, as he will believe that we are mearly trying to stop the destruction of our universe, which of course we will be trying to do."

"And finally we have less than 12 hours to complete his mission, hmm, the fact that he choose us for this task raises a number a possible scenarios, a) we're the only people who can accomplish this task, b) we're in close proximity to either Azreal or some vital facet of his plan to destroy all that there is. I sincerely doubt that we've the only ones who could accomplish this task with the tools Azreal has provided, no it's more likely that we are the most qualified who happen to be in close proximity to Azreal of some vital facet of his plan."

"If we're in close proximity to Azreal that will make things easier, but personally I hope that we just happen to be close to some vital item or structure upon which his plans hang, that way we'll be able to thwart stop his plan, if this is the case then no doubt this item or structure must be invested with some portion of his life-force, thus by destroying this item we'll destroy Azreal"

Oblivious to the discussion around him Azrim reaches down and opens the sack, still muttering to himself as he opens the sack and swiftly upends the sack, and empties the contents onto the ground. "This still leaves many questions unanswered of course, such as how do to locate the current Azreal, how to we get there in time to destroy him, and what do we use to destroy him."

"Hopefully whatever Azreal has left for us will answers these questions, no doubt there will items of artifact level power tailored for the individuals in this group, if he has half a brain he would also have left further instructions on how we can track Azreal down and kill him"

Kneeling down beside the items he begins to peruse through them and only now becomes aware that his companions have been trying to get his attention.

OOC: Since I choose 'inattentive' as a flaw I thought I might as well RP the flaw.