Last Trip to Orpheus

[King Nicho Klojhen]

The party gathers in the castle, then proceeds to the garden where the alien flower grows in a circle of stones that contain the blight around it. Nicho dispels the wards upon the flower and steps into the heart of the nexus, the others following.

Around the travelers was a sight that tore the breath
from one's chest and brought weakness to the knees. Instead of the jungle landscape which had been expected by Nicho and assumed by the others, there
were massive walls.

Aiden Raa Corm: ::The spider that was in the flower shifts to a lion,
standing beside the Maggie::

They were on a platform, one hundreds of feet from the ground. To each side was a wall that stretched upwards to a vaulted cieling so high that it was nearly shrowded in clouds.

TAILS825: ::she looked around, marveling at the area around her. She moved her hand away from her rapier hilt and produced her Astral Bow from her back, removing an arrow from her quiver and loads the bow, keeping her eyes keen to her surroundings::

Nicho TGM: ::The boy grimaces:: They were expecting us... damn.

Gelina Grey: ::looks around then up, stretching her neck to see the height
of the walls:: Seems so...

Nearby was the flower resting in a pot, obviously
transplanted.

Nicho TGM: Ah... we seem to be in the palace.

[King Nicho Klojhen]

LadyJeenaStrlng: ::she looked around at the walls as she agreed with Nicho::
Aye.

TAILS825: ::she brings the arrow back, keeping it ready, but the bow still
lowered:: This isn't good...

TheMaggie: ::Looking down to Aiden, she gave him a smile and made sure
Kernunos was easily reached, she looked to the tall wall sand sighed::

~Did you truely expect any less?~ ::came a voice from all around them::

Nicho TGM: ::He looks for the source of the voice::

LadyJeenaStrlng: ::she looked around hearing a voice::

TAILS825: ::she quickly turned her head back and forth, trying to find a source. She raised her bow to the area above them, looking around::

Aiden Raa Corm: ::The lion will growl softly::

Gelina Grey: Love the voices that come from nowhere...::looks around her and
backs up towards Nicho drawing her blade::

From the shrowded walls of this massive room came
glimpses of light, as if fireflies were playing in the distance.

TheMaggie: ::She closed her eyes trying to find the voice without using her other senses.::

~Such rude guests they are~ ::came a second, female voice::

TAILS825: This can't be good....

LadyJeenaStrlng: No.

TheMaggie: ::Left hand reached down to scratch the young lion behind the ear::

::the third voice, this one belonging to a very much visible genie above them, rang through their minds:: ~Won't you sit?~

Nicho TGM: ::The boy will address what he senses as a gathering:: We simply come to recover what was stolen from one of us. We will leave as soon as it is returned to us.

[King Nicho Klojhen]

TheMaggie: ::vsw:: I don't like this.....

Chairs magicked themselves into being all around them on that grand stone platform.

Gelina Grey: ::~they don't know rude~ she thought to herself. Hearing the voice behind them she spun around::

~Oh? That sounds like a noble motivation, eh?~
~yes, it does~

TAILS825: ::she growls... but lowers her bow, decideing to not sit down on the chair::

Nicho TGM: ::Three strange creatures join them, having been released on Nicho's prior command::

Below them there was no floor, only a fog... "hundreds of feet" was only a guess, it was possible that there was no floor at all.

TheMaggie: ::She did not answer, or sit. She knew little about what was happening. Only that her niece liked the creature and wanted him to be at peace::

Gelina Grey: ::looks at the Genie::

LadyJeenaStrlng: ::she looked down to where she stood seeing nothing but fog::

Nicho TGM: ::Pointedly doesn't sit::

LadyJeenaStrlng: ::she looks to the Genie::

TAILS825: ::she took a deep breath, unsure of what exactly to do, but kept her bow lowered, but ready::

Aiden Raa Corm: ::The lion growls again, rubbing against the Maggie::

~Yes, that brings us to another matter~ ::he floated down to the ground, sitting in a large chair:: ~Your abduction of our local fauna without cause or remorse...~

Gelina Grey: ::still standing by Nicho:: Abduction?

Nicho TGM: They are unharmed, and now returned.

LadyJeenaStrlng: ::standing by Gelina watching::

TheMaggie: ::She watched the genie, she had read about them but never seen one. ::

Nicho TGM: Simple retaliation for a similar abduction of our own.

Gelina Grey: ::now she understood::

::a laugh from all three:: ~Abduct? us? Why would we sink to such tactics?~

[King Nicho Klojhen]

Gelina Grey: Yes...::cants her head:: Why would you.... ::there was a slight sarcastic tone to her voice::

LadyJeenaStrlng: Why take something that you don't need? :::she looked directly at them::

::the dominant voice seemed to be growing sick of
all of the voices at once:: ~Silence~

Nicho TGM: They keep all sorts of "pets" in the palace dungeons, I am told.

::the other two appear in chairs beside the first, each
unarmed but heavily adorned with jewerly::

Rob87DM: ::Kolava remains behind Nicho::

Aiden Raa Corm: ::Hisses::

Gelina Grey: ::now seeing all three she growls low raising her blade a bit::

~You will talk when spoken to~

TheMaggie: ::She raised a brow. Bossy thing. She watched the others appear. Still petting her son::

~And naught before~

Gelina Grey: ::laughs::

Nicho TGM: Or else?

TAILS825: :she raised her bow slightly, keeping a sharp eye on all three::

~It is...common courtesy~

Gelina Grey: ::wrong person to tell that too::

LadyJeenaStrlng: ::her eyes never leave those she watches::

Gelina Grey: Where was your courtesy when you took what didn't belong to you?

::The genie frowns, not used to taking such attitude::

TAILS825: ::she addressed the main voice:: Permission to speak, sir?

::the female looks to Kat:: ~Speak~

Gelina Grey: ::she would be damned if she was going to ask permission to speak::

[King Nicho Klojhen]

TAILS825: If it may interest you, how about a small trade. We return what was yours, and you return what is ours. We wish no ill will. We only wish that what was ours is returned.

::he growls at Lina, standing from his chair to the
amusement of the other two, he starts, but is interupted::

Gelina Grey: ::growls back::

~You make no sense, mortal!~

Gelina Grey: Mortal? ::laughs:: I am not mortal...

~Have you the faintest inkling of what you speak?~

TAILS825: We return the fauna that we "abducted" and you return what you have to our friend. Nothing more.

Nicho TGM: Have ye the faintest inkling of whom ye are dealing with? Oh red face?

::Any in the party with druidic senses would feel that
this world was almost entirely dead, vacuous, and sinister with pain:: ~Red...face?~

Nicho TGM: Ye may rule in this realm, but ye do nae rule us.

Gelina Grey: ::grins hearing Nicho::

TheMaggie: ::She smiled inwardly at Nicho, he had come into his own. She knew the burden he was carrying, and knew this was not a time to taunt him::

[King Nicho Klojhen]

Nicho TGM: Since ye have neglected the simple courtesy of introducing thyselves, one must give ye a name.

::looking to Lina:: ~Come here.~ ::it was not a request::

::doesn't move, just looks at him::

::nodding to Nicho:: ~Well spoken, child~

TAILS825: ::she looks to Nicho slightly through the corner of her eye:: <vsw> it may be wise to attempt to settle this peacefully, sir Nicho.

TheMaggie: ::Maggies stomach cramped as realizing that indeed there was nothing grounding her, she felt death, and void::

Gelina Grey: ::feels the death too but stands her ground::

::Beside her, the lion growls again. He has been here before, he is the one that was abducted::

~I am Aloset, son of Damoset~ ~Ramoset~[glow=red,2,300]~Dialet~ [/glow]

[King Nicho Klojhen]

Aiden Raa Corm: ::Only luck had allowed him to escape::

::Each would follow their name with a nod::

TheMaggie: ::Maggie was indeed wearing her druidic robes. A new set in darkest green, stitched with silver celtic knot work of dragons and big
cats::

Gelina Grey: Ahh...they have names...

LadyJeenaStrlng: We come to retrieve what is legally ours, nothing more, Sir.

::Aloset remained sitting, though Ramoset was moving towards the edge of the platform::

TAILS825: ::she nodded:: Well... Damoset, Ramoset, and Dialet. We bear no ill will. Just as Lady Jeena says, we only come to retrieve the item
which was ours.

Nicho TGM: And we are King Nicho the Ghostmaster, Lady Gelina, Lady Maggie, Lady Katrina, Lady Jenna, Aiden the Lion and Kolava, whom ye may know.

~If what you say is true...this means you value honor?~ ::each looks up suddenly, as if having been reminded of something:: ~Kolava?~

Gelina Grey: ::looks at Dialet:: Aye.

LadyJeenaStrlng: Could you not see your way to giving what is ours back to us. We are honorable, Sir.

TAILS825: Aye, We value honor.... but why do you ask such a thing...

::dismissing Kolava as interesting, but less so then his current thought, he reaches the edge and peers over::

TheMaggie: ::Again she just listened, not speaking simply being::

~Because, you see...the thing you seek...was stolen~

Gelina Grey: ::watches Ramoset::

~from us~

TAILS825: Stolen, you say... by whom, if I may ask?

Nicho TGM: That is unfortunate for ye then.

[King Nicho Klojhen]

~A damned kitsune, but that's not important.~ ::he was eyeing Nicho with a grin:: ~What's more important is you~

Nicho TGM: Indeed?

::leaning over:: ~You're a druid, aren't you?~

Nicho TGM: Among other things, Aye.

::looking over his shoulder:: ~The whole lot of them are, Di~ ::nods::

Gelina Grey: ::turns back to Aloset seeing him eyeing Nicho and moves to step in front of him but not to block his view, only just off to the side::

~Then surely you notice the sad state of the leylines,
yes?~ ::he seemed to be building towards something::

Nicho TGM: Indeed, they are sadly absent.

~Come~ ::he repeated, motioning the others towards the edge::

LadyJeenaStrlng: ::she looks to Lina as she steps slowly::

TheMaggie: ::Maggies stomach was still cramping. She did not show it outwardly. Still petting Aiden, and standing quiet::

Gelina Grey: ::shakes her head no to Jenna::

TAILS825: ::unsure whether to even go NEAR the edge... she made sure she could use her magic, and slowly walked over to the edge::

LadyJeenaStrlng: ::stops and steps back::

~See for yourself what ails Orpheus~ ::he glared down at that fog::

TAILS825: ::but stopped midway, she took one slow step back, and stood there, unmoving::

Nicho TGM: ::He will nod, first turning to place a magical seal on the nexus:: Tangwa en' templa! ::Making sure GoldenMyst is safe from intrusion while they are gone, then he nods to the others, stepping towards the Genie::

[King Nicho Klojhen]

::those who looked would be treated to an intense vertigo followed by the nausua often associated with watching incredible gore... the leyline was ruptured and savaged, having been sucked dry by an all consuming
void::

Gelina Grey: ::moves with Nicho::

LadyJeenaStrlng: ::moves behind Gelina::

TAILS825: ::she followed behind Gelina::

::she stands, moving to the edge behind them::

::he remains sitting, grinning and playing with his hands in front of him as if contemplating possibilities::

Aiden Raa Corm: ::Sticking close to his mother, the lion follows to the edge:

Gelina Grey: ::takes a step back then turns looking at Dialet::

~Tell me, mortal, what do you see?~ ::he barked the question roughly::

TAILS825: ::her eyes shifted to look behind her::

TheMaggie: ::She kept one hand on Aiden, peering over the edge, the sensations increased, and she backed away.:: Death.

LadyJeenaStrlng: ::steps back:: Why show us this?

Nicho TGM: ::He doesn't answer, he had given the genies their names::

TAILS825: I see a deathly void... as if life itself is being sucked dry...

::to anyone, restraining a laugh, as if privvy to a joke the others weren't:: ~Look deeper...~

TAILS825: To look deeper would mean to go closer....

Nicho TGM: Besides three desperate rulers struggling to retain their power? What is it ye wish us to see?

Gelina Grey: ::isn't looking over the edge but still watching Dialet behind them::

::along the strands of power were tiny blots, terrible
things of manifested entropy, each mindlessly refining whatever scraps they came across::

::He coughs at Nicho's words:: ~Watch your tongue...~

TheMaggie: ::She stepped back to peer again taking a deep breath before she did, she opened her senses slightly as she watched::

::in a sudden outburst, nearly striking the others with
his gesture:: ~The Greed of Man!! That is what you see!~

Nicho TGM: ::Blasting through their thoughts with his own mind speach, flavored with a hint of the old gods:: ¤ Only if ye mind yours, Dial. ¤

[King Nicho Klojhen]

::some of the blots were begining to rise up towards the platform::

TAILS825: ::she took a step back::

LadyJeenaStrlng: ::steps back as well::

::like bubbles caught in a liquid, they bounced against
each other and tumbled up through the air::

LadyJeenaStrlng: Why show us this, what is the point?

TheMaggie: ::She felt dizzy and backed away as the "bubbles" moved upward.::

Gelina Grey: You blame us for this?

LadyJeenaStrlng: ::she looked down::

::she falls back, gritting her teeth, she wasn't very
powerful in this realm, not much more then a mortal, ironically::

LadyJeenaStrlng: This is not our fault

~No, Lina, of course we don't~ ::having sifted her name from her surface thoughts:: ~But you need to learn something~

TAILS825: ::she stood her ground, looking at them all::

LadyJeenaStrlng: What?

::the blots had almost reached the level of the
platform::