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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jon Potter" data-source="post: 3293590" data-attributes="member: 2323">[PLAIN][Realms #374] Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...[/PLAIN]"Oi! What 'ave we 'ere?" Karak grunted. "Is this Ixin?"Staring in disbelief at the woman on the ground, Morier took a moment to take in all that had just occurred. He had once again come perilously close to death only to be saved by Ayremac and Shamalin's healing powers, and now here he was face-to-face with a familiar soul that he had just had a hand in trying to kill.It was all surreal."Você não é real," Ixin growled, her words slurred and without conviction."What did she say?" Ayremac asked, leaning in to have a look at her. The woman recoiled from the attention and bared her teeth - which, truth be told, were a lot larger than Morier remembered them being.Ayremac stepped back giving the woman room. He looked at Morier and Karak. "Are you sure this is your friend? She seems... feral." Karak harrumphed."It do look to be her... only different," he scowled, studying her confused face. "How did she survive bein' in that lava, I do wonder?"The lava and heat had clearly given Ixin's dragon-like qualities a much more pronounced look, and Morier thought again of the words the last Keeper had spoken to him when he'd completed the last test in the Grove of Renewal: 'You are as you were meant to be, You are as nature intended.' Had failing the tests had a similar effect on Ixin? Or was this even truly her? She looked up at him, her eyes wild and seemingly lit from within and he knew it was, somehow. Her eyes... her eyes seemed to provide a tiny window into the person who was imprisoned inside. "It's her," Morier announced. "But I don't think whatever she's endured in here has been good for her mind. Her not being able to speak Common won't make this any easier." (1)"Well it be a good thing I did nae split her in half with me frost blade," Karak said, hefting the weapon, unmindful of the way Ixin reacted. Her claws scored the obsidian on which they stood."Nao real," she muttered, keeping her head low. "Somente um sonho. Nao real.""Speaking o' that. What a fine blade I 'ave 'ere. don' I?" Karak eyed his frost axe appraisingly. He chuckled, adding, "Why the bite he laid into these fire creatures must o' gave a real sting, eh?""You talk a pretty good game there, dwarf...and back it up," Huzair said as he descended from the ceiling with a glowing red rock in his hand. He gestured toward Karak's axe adding, "Luckily for Morier you and Frosty are so vicious in battle." "Actually that be some good coordinated fightin' by all of us, if'n I do say so myself," Karak said. "Nice death move, Morier. One moment you be lying on the ground needing Shamalin's divine touch again, and the next you be standin' up and swinging that earth blade like a Roc after its prey.""Yeah, that was some shot, Morier," Huzair agreed, slapping the albino hard on the back. "You make Karak's shots look like paper cuts. Nice you could get up to help a little. I was worried about you for a while there. I almost stopped to help you, but I did not want to hear you get on my case after I kicked the monster's ass.""Yes," Morier nodded reluctantly. "Good job staying on task.""Glad to be of service," Huzair grinned. "I would say that Snowball Swarm was a distraction that saved your asses; I made him so angry that he was looking for me. That gave you the opportunity to get him. I know how to handle those hot-blooded efreeti types. Such big egos!""Yes. I imagine you would," the eldritch warrior said through gritted teeth."All part of the- Whoah!" Huzair's eyes bugged out of his face as he noticed Ixin lying on the ground for the first time. "Who's the naked chick?""This is Ixin," Ayremac said, glancing at Morier. "Did I prounounce that correctly?" The albino nodded."This beautiful creature is Ixin? Your description did not do her justice." He thumped Morier hand in the ribs with his elbow and began making a show of rummaging through his Handy Haversack. Finally he produced a cloak from its voluminous interior. "And how come it's always me that has to clothe the party? First Morier, then Shamalin and now Ixin.""Can we not discuss all this away from this... hellish place," Shamalin urged, unhappy being reminded of her own captivity. "The longevity of my spells against the elements are waning."Ayremac took the cloak from Huzair and held it out to Ixin, his face calm and his voice soothing as he said, "Let us get you out of this elemental place and back to a sanctum we have found. We can catch up there."Ixin looked skeptically at Ayremac and then up at Morier. The albino nodded, motioning that she should take the cloak. And she did, getting awkwardly to her feet. She was more than half-a-foot taller than anyone else in the group, and slabs of muscles worked beneath her scaly hide as she moved."Wow, Karak," Huzair said as he ascended back toward the ceiling with a malicious smirk on his lips. "Maybe that other one you split in half was your other friend who died in that test you were afraid to take." The dwarf scowled up at the mage, and started to rise off the ground."Do you think that one of these... things was really one of your former companions?" Shamalin asked Morier. The eldritch warrior looked to the remains of the other creatures and wondered for a moment if one of them might, as Huzair suggested, have been the embodiment of Vade. There was no way to tell, but another glance at Ixin's tortured appearance and he wasn't sure which of them had gotten the better end of the deal."It's possible, Shamalin," he said. "There's no way of telling.""Perhaps Ayremac and I should say a few prayers to try to free that soul from this place," she suggested, looking questioningly at the holy warrior. He nodded and Morier shrugged."Do what you feel you must," he said and putting his pale arm tentatively around Ixin started levitating them both toward the ceiling. "Just be mindful of our waning protections here.""I have some sympathy for Raffarl." Huzair said later after they'd all returned through the portal to the central hub. Ixin had settled quickly into a deep sleep on the cold stone floor. "What a curse to spend eternity guarding something. Alone." Karak harrumphed."Sometimes alone is better," he grumbled casting a sideways glance at the wizard. Huzair rolled his eyes."Very funny," he quipped. "You know, Karak, a dwarf spends too much time alone polishing his axe and people start to talk." Before the banter could go any further, Ayremac cleared his throat."I think it might be appropriate to discuss who will place the fire key. Agreed?" he asked."What's to discuss?" Huzair snapped back. "It's the fire key and I'm the one who got it. I am placing it.""Yeah, Huzair probably deserves the fire prize," Shamalin nodded."I thought there should be some debate," the holy warrior explained. "I would be lying if I said I was not interested in wielding one of these elemental swords.""There will be no debate!" the wizard said."The obvious choice just based on the fact that it's fiery is Huzair," Morier debated. Grinning he added, "But I'm afraid he'd hurt himself with a real weapon.""Who said they were all swords, anyway?" Huzair snapped, clutching the Fire Key in both hands."I'm sorry, Ayremac, but I agree with the others. Huzair goes next since he's fire based," Karak said."Fair enough," Ayremac said with a nod. "If everyone feels it is the best course of action then I am happy to let Huzair use the key.""Damn right, I am using the key!" the wizard snapped again and got to his feet.Shamalin and Ayremac moved away to meditate and pray, and Ixin continued to sleep, but Karak and Morier both watched as Huzair put the Key into its slot and stuck his arm into the central shaft. He pulled forth what looked like a shortsword made entirely of fire."I am Flameblade, Scion of Fire, mightiest of the elemental blades!" the sword's voice crackled, and if Huzair was disappointed at drawing a sword, he had the good sense no to let it show on his face. After a time, they slept. Well most of them, anyway.Ayremac stayed up long after everyone else had drifted off, tending to his gear with methodical precision. Each piece of armor he laid out, carefully placed as if it was the only way to do such a thing. Ayremac took a moment with each piece to inspect it for safety and cleanliness. Where it was needed, he took a small strip of cloth tucked to polish away any remains of battle or mars in the finish.Once that was completed, Ayremac sat with his legs crossed and turned the inside of his shield to face him. Using the somewhat reflective surface to inspect his face and hair he prepared for a deep, meditative prayer session. Ritual cleaning was not something practiced by all Holy Warriors, but Ayremac's Aasimar heritage had left him unable to achieve a true meditative peace unless he was clean and well kept. Ayremac did his best to prepare himself in the dark and evil place.After several minutes' inspection and cleaning, Ayremac sat back, closed his eyes and was still. To the casual observer he would have seemed lifeless. Only an intensely close scrutiny of the Officer would have revealed that he was breathing deeply and slowly, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Gradually, as he breathed, he began to glow. His eye slits, his hair, his whole being seemed to radiate with an soothing radiance - not truly light, but certainly a perceptible glow.After a time of pure, energizing meditation, Ayremac began to slowly and softly chant in Celestial. The words were as beautiful as an elven song, only more so. The words of angels."Those that know and see are strong but carry a great burden. It is with the strength of my ancestors that I ask for knowledge. I seek the wisdom, the truth, the greater sight of the unknown. May the gods find me worthy and allow me to take the steps needed to achieve that which is hidden in my blood. It is for Umba's great judgment I yearn, I seek a relationship that will bring me closer to Her and allow me to practice Her judgment on this plane. I seek the scope of vision of the stars, the depth of knowledge held by the ocean, the unyielding strength of the storm, all that flows in my veins but to be unlocked by the powers that watch over me."As he finished, he felt the touch of Umba's hand on his shoulder. Its reassuring weight lingered there suffusing him with glory. And his glow increased until it was blinding in its majesty. Brilliance filled the room, momentarily erasing every shadow, and when it faded, Ayremac had transcended.(2)White pinions sprouted from his back, each feather touched with the platinum color of his hair. His eyes shone in the darkness like glittering emeralds and tears of gratitude spilled down his cheeks.Across the room, where Shamalin feigned sleep, tears were on her cheeks as well. But they were the bitter tears of grief.---------------------------------------(1) You may remember that Ixin's from an alternate material plane (one that includes the Council of Wyrms setting) and their version of Common is different from the Realms' version. I'm using Portugese here to represent her speech.(2) Ayremac's player had been putting levels into the Asimaar to Half-Celestial transition class and finally took the last level here. He's now fully Half-Celestial.</blockquote>

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