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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1493748" data-attributes="member: 15043">The Staff of Graz’zt - mostly typed by drag n fly“Don’t be so sure, Tess. I have more surprises in store for you.” Siabrey said to try to cover her pain with a wink as she headed over to the table and toped a plate with a massive slice of cake and the golden harp. Meanwhile, Tess made her way up to the dais, and settled down on a small but comfortable chair that had been set up there. Stroking her harp strings lovingly, she began a series of compositions detailing the parties various encounters with demons. She thought briefly about playing Siabrey and Lucius’ love song, but decided against it in the face of their recent loss of the Heir. Instead, she stuck to the battle songs. Her music rose in the air, almost thick enough to taste. Many of the commanders echoed the chorus’ back at her; as usual, Tess’ voice was beyond compare.The party spent most of the next hour talking with the commanders and officers about the upcoming battle. Most were not that concerned about the Countess’ overwhelming numbers; offense was much harder than defense when you’re in a city. It was the rumors of dragons and demons that had the army concerned. Shaun and the others worked hard to assure the officers that the demons were, in fact, slayable, and Shaun’s descriptions of the horrors that had killed in the Temple of Hextor set many a commanders fears to rest.The party was so busy initially, that they did not see the Court Mages arrive, and it was only when the Chamberlain came up to Siabrey and told her that Aeron and the others were waiting in the war room that she even remembered that she had contacted them.Finding the others quickly, she rushed them into the war room, making sure the door was clearly locked behind them as they entered.“I see we are not important enough for your counsel,” Aeron sniffed. Apparently Siabrey’s promotion had not elevated her position in his mind, for he stared coldly at her. She didn’t rise to his ruse however, and merely bowed slightly to each of them.“My apologies, gentlemen. Tonight is Tess’ birthday, and I felt that a celebration before the war would get everyone’s spirits up. You are all, of course, invited. There is much ale and wine to be had.” Siabrey smiled slightly, hoping that the gluttony of the mages would win them to her side. Although she saw several of their eyes light up at the mention of ale, Aeron cut of her gesture with a hand.“No, we have much more research to do tonight. However, since you have taken the liberty of summoning us here, we might as well tell you what we have learned.”Siabrey’s nostrils flared slightly at the man’s arrogant tone, but she nodded and gestured for him to continue.  As Aeron was about to speak, he in turn was cut off by one of the older mages... whose eyes had glinted at the possibility of entertainment.  On the subject of the staff, however, the man’s eyes were glum.“It is as we feared, Majesty,” she man stepped forward.  “The staff must be taken to the Abyss and neutralized.”“Neutralized?” Siabrey raised an eyebrow.  “Why can’t we just break it here?”  I’m sure there’s a ‘very very important magic hojo reason,’ but I want to know!  “And why the Abyss?”  The man sighed, and began to explain.  To her surprise though, his voice didn’t change to the tone of an adult talking to a small child... it was grave, and full of concern.“Majesty, you see...” he started, before looking off to the side in thought, trying to decide how to properly explain the nature of the universe.  “Majesty... there are many... um... ‘planes,’ if you will... worlds in essence.  Our Empire is a large and very important part of our world, but our world is one among many.  The Abyss is one of these other worlds.”  Siabrey nodded her head slowly... so far she was able to follow the man.“So the stories of demons coming up from the ground are just mother’s tales to scare children?  There is no hell beneath our feet, replete with demons and devils?” she gave a wry grin.  To her surprise, many of the mages grinned back at her slight poking attempt at humor.  Good... their not sulking anymore at least.“Not quite... the Nine Hells of Baator are an independent plane of their own that houses devils, not demons... but we’re diverging,” the man lowered his head, and cleared his throat.  “Now... this fact is recognized by very few throughout all of these worlds, but good and evil are not mutually exclusive... indeed, the multiverse requires both in order to survive.”  Siabrey tilted her head in confused. The mage growled softly and waved his hands in frustration. “Hmm... how to... aha!” he raised a finger in triumph. “Good and evil are like a pendulum,” he started quickly, holding out one hand, palm up, while holding the other one over it, index finger pointed down.  “The multiverse and fate inherently work to try and keep a balance between the two,” he held his index finger directly over the middle, keeping it still.“It takes a great deal to move this pendulum... all the minor balors in the Abyss could be slain and the pendulum would barely move.  However, if something as vastly powerful and vastly evil as Graz’zt himself were to be destroyed... the pendulum would move,” the mage set his finger in motion, first towards the left.  “Initially, the multiverse would shift towards good.  But as time progressed, the system would try to correct itself, and the pendulum would shift towards evil to do so.”  He moved his finger back and forth, “it will keep sliding back and forth until it has reached balance again.”Siabrey shook her head in confusion, “so why don’t we want to destroy the staff and kill Graz’zt again?  You just said it would shift towards goo...”“NO MAJESTY!” the man almost bellowed at her.  She recoiled slightly, and he got a frustrated look on his face, before starting again, more insistently, “If you destroy the staff, and destroy Graz’zt, yes... the system shall swing towards the side of good, but then... watch Majesty... it will swing decidedly towards evil by just as great an amount.  In effect, Your Majesty’s actions will cause, in the future, an evil that Graz’zt would pale in comparison to.  It might not strike our world, but it would strike some world... and likely kill thousands...”“Hogwash,” Orion snorted.  “I might not be mage, but I still know evil has no place.  We should take that staff, and run up to the tops of Mount Celestia with it... the place where evil is completely destroyed!  I’m sure the other ‘worlds’ or whatnot would only thank us!”  His rant could have gone on longer had Siabrey not raised her hand for quiet.“If we cannot destroy it, how do we ‘neutralize,’ as you say, the staff?” Tess asked.  If we can render it harmless, without destroying it or killing Graz’zt, we might just accomplish the same goal without the bad results...“The staff has two ends... you must take the end empowered with ice to a fiery layer of the Abyss... Graz’zt home world, and dip it into a pool of demonic lava.  You must then take the end of the staff imbued with flame to an icy layer of the Abyss, and purge its flames with ice.  Finally, the staff must be taken to Graz’zt’s home layers, and left there.”“Wait wait wait...” Shaun raised his hands, “so we’ve got to travel to three different, ‘layers,’ ‘planes,’ or whatnot in the Abyss, and leave this staff off in Graz’zt home turf?  Why can’t we neutralize it and keep it here, where we could watch it?  Or break its ends and hide them, so people need to rebuil...”The mage rolled his eyes, and began speaking to Shaun in a patronizing voice.  “If you break the staff... you merely set Graz’zt free... in this world!  Not with his limited powers that he has now, but with his FULL set of powers!”  The mage shuddered.  “If you take the staff up to Mount Celestia, where all evil is immediately destroyed never to return, then the shift of good and evil will began, with disastrous consequences for some, if not ALL of the worlds!”“Do you know yet where in these worlds we need to go?” Siabrey asked.  I’m assuming its us that will have to go... assuming Luke and Alexander are ok...  The split second thought of Luke made her twitch, but she managed to hide her feelings.“We’re still trying to find that, Majesty,” Aeron finally spoke again.  “There are many many layers of the Abyss... we are trying to find ones with enough power and connection to Graz’zt that they would be effective, but yet are safe... relatively speaking, of course... for Your Majesty to travel in.”  Siabrey nodded.He didn’t sound condescending for once... amazing...After the doors to the war room had closed, Siabrey gave a long sigh.  The thought of having to basically travel to hell, after all the events that had happened that day, was starting to take its toll on her... and her friends could plainly see it.“Siabrey, look.  They said they need to do more research... maybe we won’t have to go after all,” Tess offered.  “You’re the Crown Princess now... I’m sure you could find someone to take it down there for us.”  Tess’ face visibly winced at this comment... she herself didn’t like the idea of letting ‘someone else’ take that monstrosity.The reflexive grip of Siabrey’s hand on Kelir showed that she didn’t either.  That black staff has caused so many so much harm!   It caused Mephys to burn, it caused Kulloden to burn, it has the blood of tens of thousands to its name, it corrupted Lucius...  Her look of anger tumbled into a look of depressed horror, and it took her a few seconds to hide her face behind the facade.  Her defenses were slowly wearing down... she wasn’t going to be able to keep up the happy exterior much longer.Shaun saw this as well, and walked over, putting an arm around Siabrey.  As her protestations that she was fine rolled off her tongue, he smiled and shook his head.“No... you’re not.  Now... I’d like to go back to an idea I had a long long time ago, Elenya,” he turned to his wife, who looked confused.  “I believe when you two were bathing and talking about Lucius, I made an invitation, and your response,” he pointed at Siabrey, “was... ‘in a cold day in hell.’  Well, it appears somewhere in hell it is cold right now... soooo....”  His face was already giggling, and he deftly dodged Siabrey’s elbow.  She broke into a small smile as she was joined by Elenya, and Shaun laughed as they pummeled him.  His mission had been accomplished.“C’mon you crazy fool!” Elenya laughed.  “Let’s get back to the party... Siabrey, you’re coming with!  You need some relaxation!”</blockquote>

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