OOC: Sorry for my unannounced absence from the online world. I neglected to announce it even to myself..
IC:
The living, the dead, the Shade, stand united in peace.
I applaud the effort of the Shade to convince Acererak to join with us in unity.
I fear, unfortunately, that he will not do so ... and this will be very sad. For Acererak is a very wise and very knowledgable being, and were he to spread his lore and knowledge to those eager to learn, it would be a richer world.
(Mina sighs)
A richer world, in which magic would flourish.
If Acererak would join us in peace.
If he would put aside hate and anger.
Hearing his name invoked, the Avatar of Acererak appears in a thunderclap at the conference, greatly transformed. He has become a humanoid giant of boiling black energy, framing the familiar and grisly jeweled skull now crowned by black lightning.
He speaks:
"Hatred? Anger? You ask me to be the most forgiving creature in the multiverse, mortal child. This, I am most decidedly not. Nor, I believe, is this what your One True God teaches."
"I take what is mine, and require that I keep it. "
"THEY!", he screams, and his anger floods the area with deathly cold, pointing at the Union leaders, "they despoil my lands, kill my children, and set out on a genocidal campaign aimed at the utter destruction of my wards! This very PLACE was recently the site of a grisly hecatomb! And you ask what of me? To embrace them? To help them flourish? Don't be foolish. "
"I agree with you about the redemption of punishment, little prophet. Tell me then, what would be the punishment your God would decree for leaders who had slaughtered all of YOUR people? Redeem these creatures for me, and I might consider your offer. After all, it is their people you wish to call to your cause, not these misguided figureheads."
"A nice prelude would be to restore my lands to me, raise all those they robbed of unlife to their position, and to hang these two criminals in a cage in my crypt with their hands and feet cut off permanently. After that, I may let off those who blindly followed their selfrighteous orders with only minor castigation."
"They have pleaded peace before, little prophet, but only when it suits their own design, after they have stolen and raped what belongs to another and are poised to pay the price for it. This now appears to be an identical situation. They scurry to shield themselves under your wings, but they will betray you in turn. Sleep with dogs and you awaken with fleas. Punish them, as they deserve, and prove that you have the strength of conviction for me to give any weight to your offer. I will no longer deal with unprincipled opportunists."
