[Horde] Chapter Five: Session Forty-Seven
Appearing Characters: Altruis Shadowsong, Arthak Saurfang, Driana, Elya Azuremoon, Farondis, Levia Blackflight, Nyxxa Murkthorn, Rak'Symma, Sol'chi, Vaerux, Velameestra Windrunner (Simulacrum), Zar'Kaa
December 4th
As Nyxxa prepares to contend with the remnant of Nerus Moonfang, the elemental that manifested as the Wrath of Azshara released a roar as it prepared to engage with Arthak, Rak’Symma, Sol, and Zar’Kaa. The ankle-deep water started to churn around them, and shattered pieces of the statues started to animate as they danced and fought to the whims of the ancient curse. Three revenants of frost, tempest, and water as materialized, along with dozens of strange, shark-octopus-like Mindbenders.
Arthak immediately ran for the Wrath of Azshara. He swung in with a solid hit, but his blade collided into a massive magical barrier. Brackish water splashed off the barrier and started to try and coat his flesh, but he was able to shake it off.
Meanwhile, in the decrepit tavern, Nerus kicked a chair over at Nyxxa but she leaped over it as she moved in to close.
Zar’Kaa put a hexblade’s curse on the nearby tempest revenant. He used his fel abilities to pull some of the crackling lightning from the revenant, which swirled around Rokul Kaz just before he drove the weapon straight into the center of the assembling statue. He then drew the Eagletalon spear and dove into the center of the revenant as she drove both weapons into its core and shattered the essence that was materializing. The statue crumbled to the ground, destroyed. Zar’Kaa spun around and closed with the water revenant statue on the other side of the room.
The Wrath of Azshara looked over at Zar’Kaa and he felt an immense pressure on his body as the water and air coalesced around him. It was as if the creature was bringing down the pressure of the very depths of the ocean.
Nyxxa used [Mirror Image], and as the illusory doubles manifested around her she moved to slash at Nerus. He tried to catch the weapon on his blade, but as she scraped the weapon across his blade she managed to knock him in the face. Nerus steeled himself and was able to shake it off. He spun around with an overhead swing and clipped her in the side.
Driana saw an opening and twirled her staff around.
Several different-colored magic circles materialized as she used [Prismatic Spray] over the frost revenant and several mindbenders. With several explosions of elemental energy, the frost revenant shattered and two of the mindbenders also were destroyed. The last of the mindbenders in the group was left reeling, and Driana squeaked as she hurriedly raised her staff to fend off another mindbender that leaped at her.
More water started to surge upward and Rak’Symma was slammed into the ceiling as a sudden waterspout sent her sailing.
Sol called to Zar’Kaa over the telepathic bond and asked if he wanted to become a dragon with him. Zar’Kaa said he’d be willing to trust him on this, and Sol twinned a [True Polymorph]. The Wrath of Azshara moved to counterspell it, but Zar’Kaa then countered the counterspell. The spell successfully went off, and Sol was changed into a red dragon while Zar’Kaa was changed into a blue dragon.
Meanwhile, Nerus and Nyxxa continued to clash with dogged determination. Nyxxa steeled herself and was able to strengthen her nerves.
As Arthak was shot into the air by the water, he got big as he hovered over the Wrath of Azshara. The massive elemental tried to charm Arthak, but the magic of Varg’osh repelled it. Meanwhile the mindbenders tried to latch onto Sol, but were unsuccessful.
The Wrath of Azshara released a high-pitched screech that shot through the entire battlefield as it used [Psychic Scream]. Everyone managed to soldier through the crippling scream, and the Wrath lashed out with whips of ice and water at Arthak and Sol. The massive elemental then surged through the water away from Arthak. However, Arthak pursued.
Nerus swung with his greatsword and shattered one of Nyxxa’s mirror images. He clipped her with his follow up strike, but a third strike broke another mirror image.
Rak’Symma swam downwards and began to channel electricity as she readied a spell to be released when the water dropped.
More mindbenders swarmed Sol and attempted to hijack his mind, but he was able to fend them off. Meanwhile the Wrath of Azshara summoned a rippling force of arcane magic and sent an arcane bomb at Sol. It hovered slowly toward him, as if it had homed in on him.
The water revenant used its tidal wave ability and the statue churned a rush of water over Rak’Symma and Sol.
Altruis dove in and slashed through the Wrath of Azshara, once more chipping at the barrier that seemed to be repairing itself. However, as he slashed into the barrier, ichor of black water stained his arm and spread up onto his neck. However nothing seemed to be happening.
The water suddenly receded. Zar’Kaa slammed into the ground and was knocked off his feet. As Symma fell, she unleashed the crackling lightning and fried the remaining mindbenders before it seared through the water revenant. It slammed its fist into the ground, using the earth as a ground, but it was heavily scorched. Sol, meanwhile, had dug his claws into the ceiling to prevent himself from falling.
Arthak plummeted onto the Wrath of Azshara and drove Varg’osh into the shield, which had started to severely crack. As he slid down the barrier he slammed Varg’osh into it again, which finally broke through the barrier. He punched the creature in the face, and he tried to slam his sword into the creature one more time, but ultimately had to redirect to catch himself as he fell the rest of the distance.
The water around the room turned dark and roiled again as everyone’s lungs filled brackish water. Symma pushed through it, and Zar’Kaa, Arthak, and Sol coughed up brackish sea water, their voices momentarily gone.
Meanwhile, Nerus attempted to kick Nyxxa with another cheap shot and shattered her final mirror image.
The water revenant looked at Rak’Symma and drove its trident at her. Rak’Symma blew a gust of wind back at it as the trident clipped her. She then used [Heal] on herself, mending her wounds.
Nerus smiled at Nyxxa as he paced around her.
He suddenly ran along the wall of the tavern and swung around with a roundhouse kick to the back of Nyxxa’s head. Nerus landed behind her and twisted his greatsword around with a wide swing and sliced into her legs. Nyxxa blocked it, and Nerus sent one of her warglaives flying into the air and it stuck into the nearby table. He swept Nyxxa’s leg, which dropped her to her knees. He readied another swing to take advantage of her position.
Zar’Kaa turned his attention toward the Wrath of Azshara and leapt towards it. The water revenant swept its trident around and clipped Zar’Kaa. However he reared back and released a surge of arcane and cold energy from his maw.
Nyxxa looked at Nerus.
She shrieked as she used [Shatter]. Nerus tried to interrupt her, but she caught his blade as the twisted voice of Agara Deathsong ripped through the room. She snagged her weapon from the table as Nerus staggered back.
The arcane bomb finished closing on Sol, who was still on the ceiling. It slammed into him, and he was able to push through the stunning resonance.
The Wrath of Azshara used [Hypnotic Pattern] on Sol, but he was able to resist. The Wrath of Azshara started to summon more magic as it casted [Weird], but Zar’Kaa was able to counter it. The massive elemental roared and whipped at Arthak with a lash of mana and Sol with a lash of storms.
Nerus struck at Nyxxa and managed to clip her. He then tried to grab her, but Nyxxa kicked off with her hooves and got out of his grasp.
Sol released his grip on the ceiling and flew to the ground. He released a wave of fire over Arthak, Zar’Kaa, Altruis, and the Wrath of Azshara. The fires scorched the Wrath of Azshara, but healed Arthak, Altruis, and Zar’Kaa. The black water was burned off Altruis’s arm, and he gasped as if he was suddenly able to breathe again.
The Wrath of Azshara released a cry of rage and anguish, and a [Storm of Vengeance] erupted over the area with a loud boom of thunder.
A stray mindbend leaped at Arthak, but he caught it and crushed it in a gauntleted hand. However, a deluge of water splashed upward across the room and slammed into them as Rak’Symma fluttered out of the way.
Nerus was starting to slow down as he continued to try and land a hit on Nyxxa.
Zar’Kaa started to wrestle with the Wrath of Azshara as the water revenant used [Slow] over Arthak and the dragons. Arthak swung at the Wrath of Azshara and clipped it.
Rak’Symma used [Call Lightning] and amped up the magic to its maximum strength. The Wrath of Azshara was able to counter the spell, and Rak’Symma hastily tried to put the magic to use to fabricate a smaller storm, but the Wrath of Azshara stole the magic and instead cast it at full strength. It blasted through Arthak and Zar’Kaa as Rak’Symma wrenched the cloud back under her control. The bolt of lightning surged through the Wrath of Azshara, and it burned the rest of its energy to just barely stay up.
Rak’Symma took the rest of the crackling energy and hurled a [Jolt], which blasted the pearl clear out of its chest. It levitated back to its pedestal as the creature faded into the brackish water, and the water revenant also collapsed.
Sol had everyone gather up and released one last blast of healing fire over them to purge any other disease. Farondis lowered the barrier he had erected.
Meanwhile, Nyxxa and Nerus continued to spar, but more of Nerus’s energy had been sapped with the death of the Wrath of Azshara. Nyxxa unleased a whirlwind of strikes, and then spun around with kicks from her hooves. She connected with his face, and he staggered back as he spit out a tooth.
Nyxxa pressed her advantage.
She kicked his sword out of his hand and punched him in his gut with the broad side of her blade, knocking Nerus to the ground. He laughed weakly. However, she didn’t strike him down.
Nyxxa pulled out some alcohol and handed it out to him. Nerus took a drink and handed it back.
Nerus shook his head and offered a sad smile.
Nyxxa sensed that, eventually, Nerus would recover his strength, but she could maybe reunite him with the rest of Vaerux inside of her. Nyxxa told Nerus she could take him with her, and reunite him with his other half.
Nyxxa immediately hugged him.
Nerus wrapped his arms around her in turn and gave her a kiss on the top of the head.
Tears started to drip slowly from Nerus’s eyes as she brought his spirit into her. The tavern around them started to collapse. She felt her silenced inner demon stir, but then it felt whole, and she felt the weight of everything that had happened and what both of them had gone through. It threatened to overwhelm her, but as she remembered the voices of those she held dear, she knew they were counting on her, and so was Nerus. She steeled her sense of self, and she opened her eyes.
The rest of the group watched as the pearl seeped water, and the black ichor dripped from it and fell into the water. It coalesced into Nyxxa laying down under the water. She jolted up to the sound of Vaerux screaming inside of her head.
She could almost hear and feel him remembering.
Vaerux tensed in her mind.
Vaerux went silent as the weight of everything crashed down on him.
At that moment, Altruis and Levia ran forward to check on her. Altruis asked if she was alright and what happened, and Nyxxa took a deep breath and explained what had happened.
Levia furrowed her brow.
She looked over at Driana.
Driana, however, gave Nyxxa a deep and thoughtful look.
Nyxxa offered a smile at Levia.
Elya Azuremoon, the headmistress, had stepped forward. She was no longer stunned by whatever had influenced her.
Farondis looked to her and confirmed.
Elya furrowed her brow and looked around.
She looked at Farondis.
Vel opted to try and used her [Identify] on the pearl with some of Sol’s assistance, and she was able to gather that there was not a solution that did not require some amount of sacrifice, be it material or bodily. Theoretically if they destroyed the makers, it was possible it would fade in time, but the sheer scope that would entail would be hard to say.
Arthak also tried to tap into the essence of the pearl, and he saw a great hand of a figure with a striking helmet over a darkened sea. It almost looked like thunderbolts on each side of his helmet, and with a raise of his hand, oceans moved and seas were created as darkness was washed away. A peel of lightning lit up the blackened world in his vision, and he saw a massive figure. He had silver hair, and the Tidestone was the size of a coin in his hand until it enlarged to fit his palm. He was easily 100 feet tall or taller. Then it was in the hands of another, with clouds formed and storms created and calmed, areas of drought given relief. Then it was in this very chamber, pristine and studied with a thousand eyes, then it ruptured and cracked by the hand of divinity made flesh. He had seen the full Tidestone: a great tablet with a beautiful pearl at its center. The tablet was ruptured, and the calamity ran forth. He was then the water in the lungs of thousands of innocents, and he felt their lungs collapse and their lives drip away. As he felt the weight of so many lives snuffed out by his existence, he pulled his hand away and started to cough up sea water.
He moved over to sit down and smoke a cigar. Zar’Kaa immediately hurried over to check on him, but Arthak assured him he was fine. Zar’Kaa offered him a gourd of medicinal water anyway.
They left the chamber and Elya erected the wards again and put more in place. Farondis looked at them and asked what their goal was, as they couldn’t do anything else until the shards were reunited.
He looked over at Nyxxa, which caused her to come to her senses.
Nyxxa asked Farondis what he wanted to do, and Farondis expressed that if the group wanted to keep it, they would do what they could, but Azshara’s forces wouldn’t stop pursuing it, and he wouldn’t be surprised if she allied with the demons to acquire it.
