Find Weakness Skillcheck made! You see what should have been obvious, Val. You can now sense the weak points within Death-mechs just as well as you can their automated counterparts!
Grimacing as he realized that this was no eldritch horror, but a thing very much of Jordia, though twisted by horrific magics and unlife. Fueled by a dark web of power within its core where electromana couplings had once been placed. And Val sensed just where he needed to strike.
Elsith laughed. “Kentric? That fool graced me with the greatest gift of all, sacrificing me to my master, who took me within his gentle embrace and filled me with power you cannot fathom! Sweet, dark magics even now filling my unworthy flesh with his unholy grace.” Her laughter turned ugly. “And who better to savor those dark magics of decay than we who are but children of the shadows? For I am just the first of those who shall become Legion. And you, Dauda child, shall become the second!”
Elsith pointed her arm at Val’s head, scores of tentacles where her fingers should have been twisting in mad, furious knots.
“Repudio!” Val roared at the construct before him, shuddering with the sudden release of magics roaring from his frame before being sent crashing to the ground by the wave of vile energies burning through his mind.
Congratulations! You understand the arcane inner workings of Death-mechs! Death-mech successfully abjured! Experience earned!
You have been hit by Eldritch Blast! Saving throw made! You have suffered 100 damage and 1 medium wound! Similar to Psionic Blast, and your Greater Ward does nothing to counter! Why do you think that is, Val?
But Val could only gasp as horrific pain washed through him, suddenly tasting with his soul the hopeless despair of countless Ormur women and children facing their execution before they were brutally cut down by this horror that had once been Elsith, laughing at Val’s crumpled form.
“Feel the darkness embrace you, child of Dauda, foolish enough to think your wards could possibly stop ties of blood!”
Val’s eyes widened as the horror’s laughter grew. “Oh yes, we are kin, Dauda get. No magic you have can counter me, Valor. And once you feel our master’s caress, we will think and fight as one!”
Her laughter grew into a high-pitched wail, and Val screamed from the pain as blood trickled from his ears and nose.
Psionic Blast partially resisted! You have suffered 100 damage and a second medium wound!
“Val, where are you? Directions don’t make sense, we’re going in circles!”
“Julia! Elsith… something transformed her! Be careful, she has Psionic Shout!”
He felt a sudden burst of desperate anger through the spirit link. “You idiot! We’re a team! You don’t charge ahead! Frustration turned to alarm as Val screamed under a third assault. “Okay, I feel where you are, now. Hold on, baby, we’re coming! Don’t you die on me, Val!”
Val crumpled to the ground, spitting up blood, gazing at the vile amalgamation of slimy black tentacles and woman that had once been a girl he would have called kin. His heart pounded in horror as her tendril-laden smile widened, phasing effortlessly through the ward.
“Repudio!” Valor screamed, boosting his spell with every fiber of his being.
You have boosted Greater Abjuration within a high mana area! 187 Mana expended! Skill check made! You have avoided self-immolation! Additional effects granted!
A cone of brilliant light hammered into the hideous thing before him, before streaming clean through the ward towards the gate itself, the light itself burning so brilliantly not a trace of shadow could hide within it.
Yet Elsith only smiled, for all that Val felt the dying screams of a handful of shambling corpses that had begun to flood out of the still open porthole, caught by the blast roaring from Val’s outstretched hand, collapsing to the ground in piles of ash and bone.
And the horror before Val had devoured the full brunt of Val’s abjuration without so much as a single singed tendril.
Elsith flashed a terrible grin, and Val could see the pulsating suckers where once her teeth had been. Smelling the stench of her corrupted flesh, lurching back, doing all he could to fight off the horror clamping like bands of icy steel against his chest.
“You can no more hurt me with your magics than hurt yourself, fool.” Her dark eyes were pools of nightmare, reflecting his own countenance, but once full lips and thick, lustrous hair had become a writhing mass of tendrils covered with bright red pustules of oozing flesh. “But fear not, grand-nephew. Soon you shall savor the Keeper’s touch. Your foolishness and fear will burn away with sudden understanding, all the dark secrets of our world yours to savor by my side!”
Val felt a sudden jolt of terror. Knowing that should she touch him with those pulsating finger-like tendrils...
“That’s right, great-nephew. Then it’s all over, as blood claims its own once again.”
Val flashed a bleak smile. Blood indeed.
“Dessico!” Val screamed, putting every ounce of himself into fast-casting a spell never uttered from his lips before, for all that he felt the memory of casting and releasing those deadly magics countless times before, endless centuries ago.
Tendrils of darkest crimson blazed to life between them as he drank in the power of her blood.
Find Weakness skillcheck made! Saving throw versus oblivion made! Success! You have managed to instantaneously cast a spell you have never uttered aloud before, save by Phoebe’s side! Find Weakness: Critical Success! The Abomination before you has been transformed into a Horror resonating perfectly with your blood! None of your spells will affect her.
Save one!
Reaver’s Kiss successfully cast! Triple normal effect! The very transformations that made her so resistant to magics you would never cast on yourself has one massive weakness to exploit! Blood that resonates so strongly with you can be claimed by you as well!
You absorb 30 Health and one minor wound level from your target per second. Saving throw versus corruption made! Claim your power, Valor. After all, no matter how black and corrupted her transformation made her, it is nothing compared to the darkness within your own soul!
The horror that was Elsith lurched back, eyes blazing with sudden fury, and she screamed once more.
Saving throw made! 100 damage and one medium wound suffered!
Val cried out, lurching as he was blown off his feet, eyes tearing from pain, feeling his life force trickling away.
Willpower check made! Dimensional Rift accessed!
Forcing himself to his feet even as he spat out gobs of blood, choking down the contents of a red potion even as he lurched away, feeling the steady stream of life force flooding into him from his spell.
150 Health recovered! Song of Battle in effect!
But it was not enough, he realized, choking back despair. Elsith’s attacks were doing 100 damage. Even without the wounds making movement such an agony, there was no way his 30 Health per second regeneration could keep up.
Unless, of course, DOT spells stacked in this universe.
“Dessico!” Val screamed, putting everything he had into the spell.
Save versus critical spell failure made! You have successfully boosted Reaver’s Kiss! Added effects in high mana areas! You are now draining 60hp and 1 wound tier per second for 30 seconds! Damage DOES stack with earlier casting. Imagine that!
Even as Val felt his Mana and Health plummet, he knew he couldn’t stop.
Dodge roll made! Spell Boost in effect! Fast cast successful! Going out in glory, hey Val?
“Dessico! Dessico!” he shouted, caring not for diminishing returns as long as he got some return, dodging madly around the horror even as Elsith’s desperate roar sent him crashing to the ground a final time.
Save versus Eldritch Blast failed! You have suffered 150 damage and a Critical Wound! You are just 50 points away from death!
The pain was blinding. Beyond simple agony. For in that moment he didn’t just suffer the remembered horror of every victim sacrificed that night, blazing so brilliantly in El
sith’s mind, but all they had suffered as well.
He was the woman being disemboweled to fuel the dark magics coursing through the pentagram. He was the man pleading and sobbing as his family was butchered before him, before his skull exploded in agony as Elsith’s tendrils ripped through him.
He was the girl fleeing with everything she had before her world exploded in blackness and pain.
He was the young Dauda lying on the ground unable even to breathe, paralyzed by agony, gazing up at the sneering horror lurching over him, crimson streams of energy still roaring into his flesh before Elsith gazed at him with eyes filled with sudden wonder before collapsing at his feet in a pile of shriveled ash.
You have healed 80 health and 1 wound tier! You have healed 80 health and 1 wound tier! You have healed 80 health and 1 wound tier! Medulla damage healed! You can breathe once more! Death’s Kiss negated. Reaver’s Kiss negated. Foe has already been completely drained to ash!
Congratulations! You have defeated your first Nemesis, an enemy forged by fate or wiles specifically to kill you! Good thing you were smart enough not to go charging into unknown territory alone. Experience earned!
Val sensed the shimmering experience bar within his mind fill up two-thirds of the way to the next level as he took deep breaths of sweet, life-giving air. He was too exhausted even to chuckle at the inner voice’s sarcasm, knowing he had played the fool once more, and couldn’t help shuddering at the thought of just how close he had come to death.
“Val!”
He winced at her panic. “It’s okay babe, I’m alive.” Blinking as he gazed at Julia and Dirk’s horrified countenances as they rushed to his side, Val suddenly realizing his ward had collapsed and how vulnerable he was, lying on the ground where any number of horrors still oozing out of the gate could kill him.
Panic-stricken eyes of green and gold peered desperately into his own. “He’s not moving, Dirk!”
The battlefield commander once more, Dirk gazed intently at Val, forcing Julia to step back. “Can you hear me, soldier? We’re in a hot zone, and we need to move.” He quickly glanced Julia’s way. “If it’s a spinal injury… best we don’t jostle him.”
Yin’s shrill scream cut through the air. “Guys, something’s moving! Look at the gate, look at the gate! Something horrible’s coming!”
Song of Valor in effect! PRM regeneration in effect! Neurological damage fully repaired! You can make full use of your limbs once more! 3 Light Wounds and 100 damage remain.
A shuddering Val lurched to his feet, gazing at the scene of horror just 30 yards away.
“Val!” Yin squealed. “Look, Val’s up again! I knew he’d make it!”
With a soft cry, a sobbing Julia tore horrified eyes away from the gate, rushing into Val’s exhausted arms. “You stupid idiot!” She sobbed. “You were so close to death, so close!”
Val winced. “I know, babe. For a guy with 17 Insight, I sort of have a knack for playing the fool, don’t I?”
“Yes! I could have slammed that bitch to the ground with a shout that would have had her off her feet! Me and Dirk both! You’re Dauda, Val. She was tearing your soul apart!”
Val gazed sadly at the pile of ash at his feet. “So was she,” he whispered.
“Good to see you back on your feet,” Chris said, clasping Val’s shoulder. “Now I don’t suppose you have any ideas about how we can get rid of that nasty looking gate up ahead?”
Val grimaced, peering at the gate ahead. Like looking through the ill green light of a massive storm, a heavy weight on the air, as if a roaring tornado were on the cusp of forming and tearing the stone keep just beyond, even now wavering and shifting, as if Val and his friends were peering into the depths of the sea.
And there was an awful storm of sorts brewing. A storm of flesh and bone and twisted steel and chrome, the haunted eyes of living corpses stumbling through the gate, even as massive titans of black ropy flesh and steel tore through as well, gouging the ground with massive clawed feet and roaring like Jurrassic era behemoths, brilliant lantern eyes peering all around.
And through that din and horror were the desperate screams of a handful of ragged children, still pinned to the pulsating pentagram, somehow still alive, gazing with transfixed horror at the shambling mounds of living death approaching them even now.
“Val!” He could sense Julia’s tightly concealed panic, horror and outrage swirling in one chaotic storm.
“I know!” He shook away the horror of the moment, eyes turning to the newest addition of their party, Spirit Linked to them even now, the rest of his clan set to guard their priceless tower, on guard for the handful of reds that Val knew had long since fled.
“Alwin, those children pinned to the pentagram! Can you free them?”
Val could sense his nod through the link. “Yes, my lord! After freeing the women and children at the keep, I believe I understand the knots and burrs they wind into their wards to trap the unwary.”
Val jerked a nod, knowing he’d be in no position to focus newly trained magics upon trapped wards in the middle of combat. “Do it! We’ll cover for you!” He turned to Julia and Dirk. “Do you guys think you can keep the zombies busy?”
Dirk jerked a nod. “Already on it!” He said, dipping his head at Chris, who didn’t hesitate to draw his shimmering Zweihander, the artifact glowing a brilliant crimson, brighter than it ever had before. He and Dirk dashed forward, the latter drawing dwarven blade and shield after a few whispered words giving him additional speed, immediately interposing themselves before the few struggling Ormur survivors and the half-dozen shambling creatures looking like desiccated versions of the soldiers they once were, glowing eyes radiating a nameless hunger as they raced for the screaming children.
Val’s eyes widened as one of the undead snarled and propelled himself for a screaming child, before its putrid eyes blinked in wonder, slumping to the ground, cleaved in half by Chris’s expertly wielded greatsword, his friends knowing to give him space as Chris took the lead, silently tearing into the now stumbling zombies in methodical sweeping arcs, continuously step-sliding back or to the side so he was always balanced, always in control, always the ideal distance between himself and the horrors now shambling towards him, a pristine example of ancient Italian treatises being used in the madness of live melee combat to devastating effect.
Even as Chris took point and served as distraction, carefully leading the horde of zombies away from the children, he was close enough for Dirk to shield bash and cleave through zombies attempting to flank Chris or shift their focus towards Julia and Yin. Both girls were now sporting Synergized Wards held before them like shimmering shields as they shot billowing cones of flame far brighter than Val’s Firestream at the few zombies who managed to slip past Chris’s furious assault and Dirk’s cleaving blows. All in a desperate effort to buy time for Alwin, struggling to rescue the sobbing children begging to be freed.
Fortunately, the pair of reanimated battle-mechs were feasting upon the corpses close by, but Val knew it would only be a matter of time before their lantern eyes focused on the humans desperately trying to free their own and tore into them like a pack of ancient theropods tearing into their prey.
Val flashed a grim smile at the pair of titanic horrors. They were why he was holding back, grateful for his friends able to step in while he focused on the wild cards in his enemy’s deck.
You have successfully cast Greater Warding! 75 Mana spent!
Ignoring the mild throb of sliced flesh quickly regenerated by his PRM and the purple potion he had prudently taken, Val focused all his intention upon the massive, almost reptilian horrors finishing their feast of fallen flesh at that very moment, great lantern eyes suddenly focused upon Val’s furiously fighting friends and Alwin’s desperate attempts to break the pulsating ward, even as more former soldiers stumbled through the shimmering gate.
Spending precious moments gazing at the complex interwoven matrix of eldritch and arcane power giving those beasts unholy
life.
Find Weakness skillcheck made! You now sense the lynchpins of power needed to forge or destroy these Death-Mechs!
The closest beast roared, launching itself forward.
Val knew he could waste no more time. He had to act.
“Repudio Attero!” Val cried, feeling an intense tidal wave of magic roar through him, doing his utmost to channel and manipulate it to exactly mirror the pulsing echoes of power coursing through the closest horror. Then he squeezed his fist with a snarl, feeling his magics abruptly rupture the beating heart of power within the beast’s core.
Contest of skills: +5 bonus to disruption! Success! You have abjured Death-Mech! 75 Mana spent!
Feeling a sudden surge of satisfaction and power flood his senses like honeyed wine even as he fought to stay on his feet as tons of eldritch flesh fused to exotic titanium alloys crashed to the ground, shaking the earth as Val lurched, dizzy for a heartbeat after channeling such powerful magics before he centered himself once more.
Realizing he was being an idiot again as the second reptilian battle-mech gave a roar, brilliant lantern eyes focusing on Val, racing across the field at breathtaking speed as its metallic feet crashed against the ground, smashing into Val’s Greater Ward with a screeching crash as the ground shook under its assault.
Contest of skills: Greater Warding vs Level 45 Death-Mech: Success! Ward holds at 80% integrity.
Val grimaced as the stench of rusting metal, putrid flesh and oil overwhelmed his senses.
The ghastly beast roared and slammed itself repeatedly against Val’s ward even as Val sensed his friends fighting desperately, at risk of being overwhelmed by the flood of zombies now pouring from the rift, Val hearing the words that brought him a sense of both exultation and dread in equal measure.
“Titan’s Blast!”
Val’s heart lurched as his foe roared and slowly tore apart Val’s protections, knowing the situation must be turning dire, if Julia was risking her tactical spell.
And even as Val sensed his protections slowly giving way, the intense moments he had spent slowly building up his power in ways he had never done before outside dream at last budded forth to brilliant effect.
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