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Lylandra's War of the Burning Sky continued
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<blockquote data-quote="Lylandra" data-source="post: 7506563" data-attributes="member: 6816692"><p><strong>Into the Temple of Echoed Souls</strong></p><p></p><p>Thanks! It has been a blast.</p><p></p><p>And, haha, no, I won't spoil the upcoming events. but I can promise that there will be some surprises. </p><p></p><p>---</p><p></p><p>As he fears for Mariel's life, Tinuviel throws himself in front of his aunt before a second spell hits the council hall and leaves everyone stunned in place. The blizzard elementals use this opportunity to begin mauling some members of the delegation, including Tinuviel and Simeonne. Fortunately, the stun effect on Cuin, Tinu, Torrent, Telshanth and Magdus dissipates quickly and our team does its best to defend their helpless friends. Torrent heals up everyone who got injured while the two elves draw the elementals' attention and fight them until they eventually shatter. </p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Note: Magdus did his best to destroy the icy bonds of the elementals while Telshanth... well, he did protect Mariel but he then took cover and, being unarmed, decided to see whether these “heroes” were really up to their task.</em></p><p></p><p>After they defeated the elementals, the trio makes haste towards the grand window which now lies shattered in pieces as they hear screams coming from the outside. And what they see there really breaks their hearts as a massive, city-wide ice storm seems to have hit Seaquen. Dead and injured people are on the streets everywhere and screams fill the air. To their shock, they can also see devils roaming the streets, butchering civilians. So they use their fly spells and throw themselves at the devils, trying to prevent any more casualties. </p><p></p><p>Thanks to their quick reaction, they can round up and kill the devils quite efficiently before they try to help those who were struck by this ice storm. What shocks them as well is a note carved into a human bone they find with one of the ice devils. It reads “Hand the Torch to Ragesia or many more will die”</p><p></p><p>When they return to the council, the ambassadors are all on their feet again and Kiernan has already sealed off the window with a wall of stone. </p><p></p><p>Xavious Foebane is furious because of the attack and tries to rally everyone present to form an alliance against Leska right here, right now, as this vicious attack proves that no one can be safe from the Scourge. Most of the others agree, but they all understand that they probably won't get to the Scourge's location in time without a functioning Torch of the Burning Sky. </p><p></p><p>Cuin and Tinu agree on this assessment and they add that there might be a way to get this artifact to work, but this needs some time and might be dangerous. Still they're convinced that they will get them a method of teleporting an army to northern Ragesia, so they ask the ambassadors to get their respective armies ready as quickly as possible. </p><p></p><p>It seems as if everyone agrees to this plan. Well, everyone, except the Shahalesti who note that they'll have to inform their Lord Shaaladel about the recent development, even if they are quite positive that the Shining Lord will agree to send his army as soon as he hears about the Scourge's magical capabilities. </p><p></p><p>The council dissolves then and Mariel tells the Seaqueninans in private that she's sorry she couldn't be of more help. She's very glad that her dear Tinuviel tried to defend her with his life though and she says she'll never forget what he did today. Also, she'll do her very best to get Shaaladel on board. Regarding Shalosha, she doesn't really know about her invitation, but she does know that Shaaladel was quite upset about her unilateral wedding plans. </p><p></p><p>After Mariel leaves the scene, the trio discuss their plans to restore the Torch with Simeonne, Xavious and Kiernan. They explain that they might be able to repair the artifact by getting its “soul” back in the Temple of Echoed Souls, even if the leader of the Echoed Soul monks warned them that unspeakable evil lurks inside their old home. </p><p></p><p>They then go outside on the streets of Seaquen again to comfort those who got struck by the ice storm. After hours of work, Kiernan seems depressed and he shakes his head at the destruction of his city.</p><p></p><p>“So much death and despair... how can we possibly hope to win against an enemy who can easily eradicate a whole city with a single spell?”</p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Note: I wanted to foreshadow his rather unorthodox decision later on. Seeing the destruction of large parts of Seaquen with his own eyes, Kiernan is about to lose confidence in the Alliance's ability to protect their civilians. </em></p><p></p><p>Before they teleport back to Ycengled one day later, Tinuviel places a mind shielding spell on Rhuarc and Cuin'halar as these two are most likely the ones who'll use the Torch in the temple. He then tries to talk mentally to Shalosha one last time and ask her why she didn't make it to the war council. Shalosha explains that, embarrassing as that may sound, she's been grounded by her dad for trying to make political negotiations behind his back. And yes, he wasn't happy that these “negotiations” meant marrying a ragesian general. Tinuviel replies that he's sorry to hear that, but he does encourage her to make her own decisions regardless of Shaaladel's opinion.</p><p></p><p>When Shalosha tells him that things are not that easy in Calanis and she doesn't want to destroy her future in Shahalesti, Tinuviel asks her whether she'd side with them or whether she'll be Shaaladel's puppet for the next few decades. After all, the Alliance is trying its best to defeat Leska and Shalosha does have many supporters in Shahalesti, especially those who live in the borderlands. Also, he promises that he'd always be by her side, guarding her back and making sure that no one can betray her. Shalosha thanks Tinu for his support, but she cannot leave Calanis right now. Still she does have a backup plan, one that she cannot reveal right now as she doesn't know whether it will work or not. </p><p></p><p>Tinu then informs Cuin and Torrent about his talk with Shalosha and he seems a bit upset that he couldn't convince his cousin to join them right now. Cuin pokes Tinu in the ribs as maybe “Shalosha” is still quite the sensitive topic for Torrent, but Tinu seems a bit oblivious. They then get Rhuarc and Three Weeping Ravens and teleport to the edge of Ycengled. From there, they walk the riverbank of the Sharn river all the way towards the Temple of Echoed Souls.</p><p></p><p>After they enter the Temple, Three Weeping Ravens explains the basics of the trial ceremony and they all ascend the stairs together. When they reach the mirror in the front Hall, they see the reflection of master Haathon who warns them that “41” has taken control of the temple. He asks them to leave immediately if they value their souls, but Cuin'halar presents the Torch and explains that he has to fix this artifact and he guesses that the missing part of it might have been lost inside the temple.</p><p></p><p>When Haathon sees Rhuarc, he nods knowingly and seems disappointed that someone would throw a soul away like that. He agrees to let them enter the temple and then explains the trials to the whole group. He also explains the method of soul tapping, even if he says that he can teach them only the very basic techniques as true mastery will need years of practice. </p><p></p><p>Then his image flickers and vanishes, revealing a shadowy figure that looks – to everyone's surprise – very much like a brawler. He claims that they may enter, but he's also pretty sure that they will lose their souls to him in the process. </p><p></p><p>They let 41 be for the moment and enter the chambers before facing the trial of the bell. Thanks to Tinuviel, they manage to spot the trap and disable the pressure plate that would have otherwise triggered the bell in the echo chamber. They also find the secret door with the inscription “Speak your name and be divided to paths sinister and righteous. A sacrifice of blood is the key to your salvation”. So each of them whispers their name and enter the mirror portals that open in front of them. </p><p></p><p>Three Weeping Ravens and Tinuviel, who took the paths of space and death find themselves on the “righteous path” and have to move through a flaming ground as soon as they enter. They do see the “silver key” in form of a blade inside a floating sphere, so Tinuviel levitates towards the sphere and find himself unable to breach it. So he and Three Weeping Ravens guess that they have to make the “sacrifice of blood” by defeating the hideously malformed chorus. Which is exactly what they do without too much hassle. </p><p></p><p>Cuin'halar, Rhuarc and Torrent, who took the paths of life, time and water, enter the “sinister path” and suddenly feel water entering their shoes as they stand in a stormy space with one floating willow tree encased in an orb. Cuin and Torrent are surprised to see that the Ghale they encountered in the Shrine of Anyariel is also in this room. She seems a bit confused about the fact that they meet again in such a strange place, but here they are. Rhuarc mumbles something about a “sacrifice of blood” and Cuin gets that this Ghaele cannot be truly the same celestial they've met before. Still he cannot possibly sacrifice the Ghaele for such selfish reasons. Rhuarc scolds him for such noble hesitance as they have one mission and doing what needs to be done sometimes requires dire methods. </p><p></p><p>Cuin stands up to his beliefs and says that he didn't choose the path of life without reason. He asks Rhuarc to put aside his weapon and believe in him and then uses the Living Blade to cut his veins and bleed out. The moment Cuin's body dies, Torrent and Rhuarc can reach the amber key and leave the room where Cuin suddenly reappears, brought back by the temple's magic. </p><p></p><p>“See? I told you to have faith in me and here I am.”</p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Note: Cuin sees the “path of life” as his personal motivation, so choosing “life” was a natural one for him. I was also quite sure that he'd not kill the Ghaele, so I planned to let Rhuarc do it for him should he turn out to be too hesitant. But he was quite quick to sacrifice himself.</em></p><p></p><p>The two groups reunite in the grand trial chamber and see their surroundings shift. They see a short vision of their group as they flee from Korstull on the Sky Palanquin and prepare to fight the resurrected Syana. Shalosha joins them as does Rihalles and they all feel a sudden rush of communion as they witness their memory of the past. </p><p>The vision then flickers and they see a (from their own perspective) very strange second vision: They are suddenly in front of the temple and see a strange gathering of people: First there's Kiernan Stekart and Katrina. Then there are Shalosha and her bodyguard Rihalles, as well as admiral Telshanth and Nahrem, the “Scourge of Ycengled”. And last but not least, they are accompanied by two inquisitors, one bear and a ragesian knight clad in crimson.</p><p></p><p>The female inquisitor calls upon the rest's loyalty as she claims that at least the Ragesians are not known for quick betrayals, even if there have been precedents. She hints at Katrina and then looks at Shalosha, who says that she wishes to get this work done quickly. And while she isn't proud at what she's about to do, she still knows that this union between Shahalesti and Ragesia might be the best chance for their two nations to make peace. The red knight grunts, having no nerve for diplomacy and then opens the door of the temple. </p><p></p><p>Cuin is seemingly confused at what he just saw and calls the vision horribly absurd. Tinuviel isn't so sure about the absurdity as he does recall his talk with Shalosha, even if he, too, hopes that this isn't real. He asks Rhuarc to stay in the shadows and watch out for any sign of other, real, presences in this hall. </p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Note: Yep, I added Kiernan and Telshanth to the equation because I knew that both Shalosha and Katrina would end up siding with the party. But more about them later.</em></p><p></p><p>The vision flickers again, before confronting some of them with a vision of the past: First they witness their interrogation of Lee Sidoneth, mere moments before his disintegration. They then see Torrent and the terror on her face when she sees her old mentor turn to dust. And then they hear an amused voice coming from everywhere at once: </p><p></p><p>“How... interesting. He made his choice, even if it turned out to be quite... fatal” </p><p></p><p>The vision flickers again and they stand inside Vuhl's hut the moment when Tinuviel confronts the Seela. He calls him the dark abyss and realizes that this person cannot possibly be a seela, but has to be something more and much darker. </p><p></p><p>“Ah, now this soul I'd love to touch.”</p><p></p><p>The vision flickers again and this time, Cuin feels a strong resonance coming from his backpack.</p><p></p><p>They are suddenly back inside the temple and see an elegant female elf, crowned with a golden tiara and wearing flowing, golden robes entering the main hall. There she meets a shadowy man who's surrounded by a menacing aura. The man musters her feet to tiara and then raises his voice in disbelief:</p><p></p><p>“Of all the creatures who might enter my temple, it is you who gives me the honor? In this fragile guise? Don't you fear for your soul?”</p><p></p><p>The elf seems to glow as she seems to be so much more than a simple woman.</p><p></p><p>“I don't fear you, creature of darkness. You have no power over me.”</p><p></p><p>“So you seek to confront me? Your kind is truly the epitome of arrogance.”</p><p></p><p>The elf grins maliciously and hisses.</p><p></p><p>“The same could be said about you, humans”</p><p></p><p>With these words, she turns into a gigantic golden dragon and stares down upon the seemingly small shadowy figure.</p><p></p><p>“Believe me, dragon, I've got enough experience fighting your kind.” the man says in an amused voice before changing his shape to reveal the silhouette of a – smaller and still shadowy – green dragon. Both dragons stare at each other for a moment before circling each other. </p><p></p><p>“I didn't come here to fight you, spirit. I wish to understand your magic. Soul magic.”</p><p></p><p>Now this turns the shadow quite interested and he ceases his displayed aggressive stance.</p><p></p><p>“Is that so? How... unexpected. But you do know that this knowledge comes at a price?”</p><p></p><p>“So name your price!” the golden dragon growls, also less aggressive, but more demanding. </p><p></p><p>“Your soul. All these tiny dark spots, your wrath, your fury, your hidden hatred. All of that shall be mine.”</p><p></p><p>The dragon laughs for a mere moment before looking intensely at the smaller one.</p><p></p><p>“You truly believe to find darkness in my soul? So be it! But don't you dare to double-cross me.”</p><p></p><p>“Oh my. I have no reason for doing that, dear Syana.”</p><p></p><p>With these words, the dark dragon dissolves into black tentacles that embrace the golden wyrm. Syana roars in pain and the vision fades. </p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Note: And this is how Syana learned her soul magic. The very same magic she taught the Syllith and the same magic she used to give birth to Trilla. When I first read about Trilla, her psionic powers and the monks of the Echoed Soul, I always wondered whether there was a connection between the dragon child and the temple. </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>So I decided that this is where it all began. After she conducted many quasi-successful experiments on creating life, she turned to the next step and failed because she couldn't “make” a soul on her own. She then learned about the forsaken temple and the ancient evil and, being a proud gold dragon, chose to ignore the warnings. In the end she got what she wanted in exchange for the dark parts of her soul, making her the most benevolent being on the continent but also starting the process that led to her soul's fragmentation which induced her weakened state when she fought Coaltongue. </em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>And of course, this empowered 41 with the pride, fury and anger of the mightiest dragon of her time.</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lylandra, post: 7506563, member: 6816692"] [b]Into the Temple of Echoed Souls[/b] Thanks! It has been a blast. And, haha, no, I won't spoil the upcoming events. but I can promise that there will be some surprises. --- As he fears for Mariel's life, Tinuviel throws himself in front of his aunt before a second spell hits the council hall and leaves everyone stunned in place. The blizzard elementals use this opportunity to begin mauling some members of the delegation, including Tinuviel and Simeonne. Fortunately, the stun effect on Cuin, Tinu, Torrent, Telshanth and Magdus dissipates quickly and our team does its best to defend their helpless friends. Torrent heals up everyone who got injured while the two elves draw the elementals' attention and fight them until they eventually shatter. [I] Note: Magdus did his best to destroy the icy bonds of the elementals while Telshanth... well, he did protect Mariel but he then took cover and, being unarmed, decided to see whether these “heroes” were really up to their task.[/I] After they defeated the elementals, the trio makes haste towards the grand window which now lies shattered in pieces as they hear screams coming from the outside. And what they see there really breaks their hearts as a massive, city-wide ice storm seems to have hit Seaquen. Dead and injured people are on the streets everywhere and screams fill the air. To their shock, they can also see devils roaming the streets, butchering civilians. So they use their fly spells and throw themselves at the devils, trying to prevent any more casualties. Thanks to their quick reaction, they can round up and kill the devils quite efficiently before they try to help those who were struck by this ice storm. What shocks them as well is a note carved into a human bone they find with one of the ice devils. It reads “Hand the Torch to Ragesia or many more will die” When they return to the council, the ambassadors are all on their feet again and Kiernan has already sealed off the window with a wall of stone. Xavious Foebane is furious because of the attack and tries to rally everyone present to form an alliance against Leska right here, right now, as this vicious attack proves that no one can be safe from the Scourge. Most of the others agree, but they all understand that they probably won't get to the Scourge's location in time without a functioning Torch of the Burning Sky. Cuin and Tinu agree on this assessment and they add that there might be a way to get this artifact to work, but this needs some time and might be dangerous. Still they're convinced that they will get them a method of teleporting an army to northern Ragesia, so they ask the ambassadors to get their respective armies ready as quickly as possible. It seems as if everyone agrees to this plan. Well, everyone, except the Shahalesti who note that they'll have to inform their Lord Shaaladel about the recent development, even if they are quite positive that the Shining Lord will agree to send his army as soon as he hears about the Scourge's magical capabilities. The council dissolves then and Mariel tells the Seaqueninans in private that she's sorry she couldn't be of more help. She's very glad that her dear Tinuviel tried to defend her with his life though and she says she'll never forget what he did today. Also, she'll do her very best to get Shaaladel on board. Regarding Shalosha, she doesn't really know about her invitation, but she does know that Shaaladel was quite upset about her unilateral wedding plans. After Mariel leaves the scene, the trio discuss their plans to restore the Torch with Simeonne, Xavious and Kiernan. They explain that they might be able to repair the artifact by getting its “soul” back in the Temple of Echoed Souls, even if the leader of the Echoed Soul monks warned them that unspeakable evil lurks inside their old home. They then go outside on the streets of Seaquen again to comfort those who got struck by the ice storm. After hours of work, Kiernan seems depressed and he shakes his head at the destruction of his city. “So much death and despair... how can we possibly hope to win against an enemy who can easily eradicate a whole city with a single spell?” [I] Note: I wanted to foreshadow his rather unorthodox decision later on. Seeing the destruction of large parts of Seaquen with his own eyes, Kiernan is about to lose confidence in the Alliance's ability to protect their civilians. [/I] Before they teleport back to Ycengled one day later, Tinuviel places a mind shielding spell on Rhuarc and Cuin'halar as these two are most likely the ones who'll use the Torch in the temple. He then tries to talk mentally to Shalosha one last time and ask her why she didn't make it to the war council. Shalosha explains that, embarrassing as that may sound, she's been grounded by her dad for trying to make political negotiations behind his back. And yes, he wasn't happy that these “negotiations” meant marrying a ragesian general. Tinuviel replies that he's sorry to hear that, but he does encourage her to make her own decisions regardless of Shaaladel's opinion. When Shalosha tells him that things are not that easy in Calanis and she doesn't want to destroy her future in Shahalesti, Tinuviel asks her whether she'd side with them or whether she'll be Shaaladel's puppet for the next few decades. After all, the Alliance is trying its best to defeat Leska and Shalosha does have many supporters in Shahalesti, especially those who live in the borderlands. Also, he promises that he'd always be by her side, guarding her back and making sure that no one can betray her. Shalosha thanks Tinu for his support, but she cannot leave Calanis right now. Still she does have a backup plan, one that she cannot reveal right now as she doesn't know whether it will work or not. Tinu then informs Cuin and Torrent about his talk with Shalosha and he seems a bit upset that he couldn't convince his cousin to join them right now. Cuin pokes Tinu in the ribs as maybe “Shalosha” is still quite the sensitive topic for Torrent, but Tinu seems a bit oblivious. They then get Rhuarc and Three Weeping Ravens and teleport to the edge of Ycengled. From there, they walk the riverbank of the Sharn river all the way towards the Temple of Echoed Souls. After they enter the Temple, Three Weeping Ravens explains the basics of the trial ceremony and they all ascend the stairs together. When they reach the mirror in the front Hall, they see the reflection of master Haathon who warns them that “41” has taken control of the temple. He asks them to leave immediately if they value their souls, but Cuin'halar presents the Torch and explains that he has to fix this artifact and he guesses that the missing part of it might have been lost inside the temple. When Haathon sees Rhuarc, he nods knowingly and seems disappointed that someone would throw a soul away like that. He agrees to let them enter the temple and then explains the trials to the whole group. He also explains the method of soul tapping, even if he says that he can teach them only the very basic techniques as true mastery will need years of practice. Then his image flickers and vanishes, revealing a shadowy figure that looks – to everyone's surprise – very much like a brawler. He claims that they may enter, but he's also pretty sure that they will lose their souls to him in the process. They let 41 be for the moment and enter the chambers before facing the trial of the bell. Thanks to Tinuviel, they manage to spot the trap and disable the pressure plate that would have otherwise triggered the bell in the echo chamber. They also find the secret door with the inscription “Speak your name and be divided to paths sinister and righteous. A sacrifice of blood is the key to your salvation”. So each of them whispers their name and enter the mirror portals that open in front of them. Three Weeping Ravens and Tinuviel, who took the paths of space and death find themselves on the “righteous path” and have to move through a flaming ground as soon as they enter. They do see the “silver key” in form of a blade inside a floating sphere, so Tinuviel levitates towards the sphere and find himself unable to breach it. So he and Three Weeping Ravens guess that they have to make the “sacrifice of blood” by defeating the hideously malformed chorus. Which is exactly what they do without too much hassle. Cuin'halar, Rhuarc and Torrent, who took the paths of life, time and water, enter the “sinister path” and suddenly feel water entering their shoes as they stand in a stormy space with one floating willow tree encased in an orb. Cuin and Torrent are surprised to see that the Ghale they encountered in the Shrine of Anyariel is also in this room. She seems a bit confused about the fact that they meet again in such a strange place, but here they are. Rhuarc mumbles something about a “sacrifice of blood” and Cuin gets that this Ghaele cannot be truly the same celestial they've met before. Still he cannot possibly sacrifice the Ghaele for such selfish reasons. Rhuarc scolds him for such noble hesitance as they have one mission and doing what needs to be done sometimes requires dire methods. Cuin stands up to his beliefs and says that he didn't choose the path of life without reason. He asks Rhuarc to put aside his weapon and believe in him and then uses the Living Blade to cut his veins and bleed out. The moment Cuin's body dies, Torrent and Rhuarc can reach the amber key and leave the room where Cuin suddenly reappears, brought back by the temple's magic. “See? I told you to have faith in me and here I am.” [I] Note: Cuin sees the “path of life” as his personal motivation, so choosing “life” was a natural one for him. I was also quite sure that he'd not kill the Ghaele, so I planned to let Rhuarc do it for him should he turn out to be too hesitant. But he was quite quick to sacrifice himself.[/I] The two groups reunite in the grand trial chamber and see their surroundings shift. They see a short vision of their group as they flee from Korstull on the Sky Palanquin and prepare to fight the resurrected Syana. Shalosha joins them as does Rihalles and they all feel a sudden rush of communion as they witness their memory of the past. The vision then flickers and they see a (from their own perspective) very strange second vision: They are suddenly in front of the temple and see a strange gathering of people: First there's Kiernan Stekart and Katrina. Then there are Shalosha and her bodyguard Rihalles, as well as admiral Telshanth and Nahrem, the “Scourge of Ycengled”. And last but not least, they are accompanied by two inquisitors, one bear and a ragesian knight clad in crimson. The female inquisitor calls upon the rest's loyalty as she claims that at least the Ragesians are not known for quick betrayals, even if there have been precedents. She hints at Katrina and then looks at Shalosha, who says that she wishes to get this work done quickly. And while she isn't proud at what she's about to do, she still knows that this union between Shahalesti and Ragesia might be the best chance for their two nations to make peace. The red knight grunts, having no nerve for diplomacy and then opens the door of the temple. Cuin is seemingly confused at what he just saw and calls the vision horribly absurd. Tinuviel isn't so sure about the absurdity as he does recall his talk with Shalosha, even if he, too, hopes that this isn't real. He asks Rhuarc to stay in the shadows and watch out for any sign of other, real, presences in this hall. [I] Note: Yep, I added Kiernan and Telshanth to the equation because I knew that both Shalosha and Katrina would end up siding with the party. But more about them later.[/I] The vision flickers again, before confronting some of them with a vision of the past: First they witness their interrogation of Lee Sidoneth, mere moments before his disintegration. They then see Torrent and the terror on her face when she sees her old mentor turn to dust. And then they hear an amused voice coming from everywhere at once: “How... interesting. He made his choice, even if it turned out to be quite... fatal” The vision flickers again and they stand inside Vuhl's hut the moment when Tinuviel confronts the Seela. He calls him the dark abyss and realizes that this person cannot possibly be a seela, but has to be something more and much darker. “Ah, now this soul I'd love to touch.” The vision flickers again and this time, Cuin feels a strong resonance coming from his backpack. They are suddenly back inside the temple and see an elegant female elf, crowned with a golden tiara and wearing flowing, golden robes entering the main hall. There she meets a shadowy man who's surrounded by a menacing aura. The man musters her feet to tiara and then raises his voice in disbelief: “Of all the creatures who might enter my temple, it is you who gives me the honor? In this fragile guise? Don't you fear for your soul?” The elf seems to glow as she seems to be so much more than a simple woman. “I don't fear you, creature of darkness. You have no power over me.” “So you seek to confront me? Your kind is truly the epitome of arrogance.” The elf grins maliciously and hisses. “The same could be said about you, humans” With these words, she turns into a gigantic golden dragon and stares down upon the seemingly small shadowy figure. “Believe me, dragon, I've got enough experience fighting your kind.” the man says in an amused voice before changing his shape to reveal the silhouette of a – smaller and still shadowy – green dragon. Both dragons stare at each other for a moment before circling each other. “I didn't come here to fight you, spirit. I wish to understand your magic. Soul magic.” Now this turns the shadow quite interested and he ceases his displayed aggressive stance. “Is that so? How... unexpected. But you do know that this knowledge comes at a price?” “So name your price!” the golden dragon growls, also less aggressive, but more demanding. “Your soul. All these tiny dark spots, your wrath, your fury, your hidden hatred. All of that shall be mine.” The dragon laughs for a mere moment before looking intensely at the smaller one. “You truly believe to find darkness in my soul? So be it! But don't you dare to double-cross me.” “Oh my. I have no reason for doing that, dear Syana.” With these words, the dark dragon dissolves into black tentacles that embrace the golden wyrm. Syana roars in pain and the vision fades. [I] Note: And this is how Syana learned her soul magic. The very same magic she taught the Syllith and the same magic she used to give birth to Trilla. When I first read about Trilla, her psionic powers and the monks of the Echoed Soul, I always wondered whether there was a connection between the dragon child and the temple. So I decided that this is where it all began. After she conducted many quasi-successful experiments on creating life, she turned to the next step and failed because she couldn't “make” a soul on her own. She then learned about the forsaken temple and the ancient evil and, being a proud gold dragon, chose to ignore the warnings. In the end she got what she wanted in exchange for the dark parts of her soul, making her the most benevolent being on the continent but also starting the process that led to her soul's fragmentation which induced her weakened state when she fought Coaltongue. And of course, this empowered 41 with the pride, fury and anger of the mightiest dragon of her time.[/I] [/QUOTE]
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Lylandra's War of the Burning Sky continued
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