[Horde] Chapter Five: Session Ninety-Two
Characters
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December 30th
Given what a threat Rythas had proven himself to be, Nyxxa closed in on the wrathlike mage and drove her glaives into him with a [Mana Break] as she enhanced a sphere of [Silence] over the area.
Sol whipped out his wand of arcane missiles and released them on the nearby spectral champion and he then cast [Sanctuary] on himself as he typed a few commands onto the interfacing tools on his wrist. The eternal skald tried to attack Sol, but he could not break through the sanctuary effect for most of his strikes, and the one that he managed went wide. Instead, the skald went for Seria and twisted his blade into her side. He flipped over Seria, slammed his feet off Arthak’s back and then launched back over Seria again.
Symma conjured up a [Chain Heal] on Sol, Nyxxa, and Seria, but one of the vrykul conjured up dark magics that dampened the healing effect on Sol. She then used her grasping vine to trap and drag Rythas off the cliff, but was unsuccessful.
Oktel Dragonblood continued to focus on Arthas and she lunged forward with her speak, but Arthak blocked it away. The host of spectral warriors continued to fire a volley of spectral arrows at Rak’Symma, who narrowly dodged the worst of the assault.
Arthak exchanged blows with Oktel and he managed to further wound her while Seria focused on the eternal skald, raking into the undead warrior with her claws as they radiated necrotic energy. She scooped him up and slammed him onto the ground as she dragged the skald around, the man laughing with glee the entire while. Oktel laughed as she saw him get dragged around and asked if that was the best he had, and he admitted it kind of was.
He tried to use [Vicious Mockery] on Seria, but it was completely ineffective.
Rythas pulled out a jagged ink pen and lashed out at Nyxxa where he struck her with an enervating force, but she was able to refocus her mind and push through force, maintaining the silence over the area. Nyxxa responded with another furious assault with her poisoned glaives.
Oktel and Arthak continued their duel as the shieldmaiden managed to slip through his defenses and nick him in the side. Arthak, however, whirled around with a perfect assault, and as Oktel was dropped to her knees. Arthak saluted her.
Arthak lunged forward and decapitated her. Oktel had an expression of approval as her body burned away in radiant flames. He decided to focus his attention on the spectral host that was harassing Rak’Symma. Rythas once more tried to strike at Nyxxa, but she saw the attack coming and dodged.
Seria rended the skald apart, as she didn’t understand what he was saying, but she didn’t like his tone. She then snatched some of the ghosts of the spectral host from the air. The host attempted to assault Arthak’s mind with their ghostly onslaught, but he was able to steel himself against them.
Rak’Symma channeled a [Chain Lightning] in her talons and launched it at Rythas.
The wraith was electrocuted with the surge of lightning and then launched to the spectral host and zapped through the host, dissipating them in an explosion of crackling lightning.
The mist that covered the battleground did not fade. The group looked around, and they saw the spirits of Oktel, Rythas, and Heimir the Blackfist emerged. Oktel clapped.
Heimir bowed to Arthak.
Other kings voiced their agreement, but as the group looked at their hands, the last spot remained empty. It appeared the spirits were getting ready to leave and did not realize anything was wrong.
Arthak was translated, and a frown appeared on Heimir’s face. Oktel looked surprised.
Arthak raised his hand to show them, and Sol asked what the terms of the trial were. Oktel confirmed that those that performed the rite of awakening and fought the champions of the clans would receive their blessing if victorious.
Oktel’s eyes widened.
Nyxxa recalled that she had seen some of the Bonespeakers talking about the fel and one of them had offered to show the other one before they returned.
Sol explained everything that had been done.
The others nodded in agreement.
Oktel bid them go and find the Eternal Queen, and they promised they would await them in the Halls of Valor. Heimir promised they would share a drink in the All-Father’s halls. Sol offered that if they wanted to help kick their asses, he would blow the horn. He held the horn up.
Rythas seethed.
Sol assured him that he would.
As the ghosts dispersed, they saw Hilaire with one of the ghosts. He was a young specter, and Hilaire looked at him with a stoic face, but a small and gentle smile. She reached out and put a hand on his head. He was the one that had shot the spectral arrow, and she prided him on his good shot. He also gave Cora some pats on her head.
Her son dispersed, and she raised a hand to dry a tear and turned back to the group.
Nyxxa expressed they were grateful for both their bow and fangs. Hilaire said that she would take them to the tomb of the Eternal Queen, as she knew precisely where it was. But that was where their paths would diverge, as women were not welcome in Haustvald, just as men were not welcome in Skold-Ashil.
The group sat down to rest and Arthak shared the stores of what he knew of the kings, and one of the stories sounded familiar to Seria. There were ancient tales she had heard from Zabra where it was said that a great darkness had fallen over the land and skittering creatures of shadow and malice emerged from hills and caves to take vengeance against the Zandali people. It was said that they were first summoned when an old troll witch doctor named Zan’do awoke a terrible beast, and its horrific roars called its servants from a bygone era before the sun brought day to the world. The creatures of nightmare swarmed and threatened to be an end to all things, but then a great warlord rose and rallied tribes of every type and biome. A troll by the name of Zul’jin. The first Zul’jin. He was a living loa of war, and they slew the great beast. She recalled one was called the Unraveler, and many others.
In the aftermath, it was said the empire of Zul was then established, which was the predecessor of the Zandalari empire.
The story of Oktel was interesting, because it sounded like it could have taken place around that time. Seria couldn’t help but wonder if the skittering creatures were the same.
Symma also recalled a time long before the Sundering, through the perspective of Aviana, where there was an event similar. The wild gods had fought against those same monsters. However, even the memories she inherited did not want to remember the horrors of that time.
After they finished resting, Hilaire led them north into a different biome. There were stacked stones at different intervals as well as altars with a helm at the top. Various other ritual sites extended out which varied in ostentation. It was a different type of somberness.
Seria and Sol saw something flickering in the distance. It was vaguely humanoid and appeared to be some sort of wandering spirit. It started to try and leave the forest, but its body seemed to discorporate when it got too far. It couldn’t leave. Sol pointed it out, and they decided to walk towards it.
It was not a strong spirit. It seemed to struggle to have any sense of self or purpose. It reached out again.
It continued to repeat similar statements and didn’t appear to notice them at all. Nyxxa tried to speak to it, and the spirit simply asked if she could take it “there” as it could still be worthy. Nyxxa asked who they were, and they said they were a failure.
Sol had Nyxxa ask the shade if it could help them find out what happened to Ashildir, with all the fire it could manage. The spirit almost seemed to become more corporeal as it repeated the words, and they could almost see facial features. The spirit emboldened itself, and it stepped forward.
But then it dissipated, and it reformed inside the Runewood. The spirit said it couldn’t leave. Arthak suggested the spirit could tag along by possessing one of them.
However, as Seria looked at the situation, she realized the border of the forest was also the border of the druidic grove feeling, and it seemed to be keeping the spirit inside. Sol poked around and he noted there was in fact a druid grove, but there was also some sort of private sanctum over the Runewood. There was a divination dampening effect, but it didn’t seem to be malevolent.
Arthak reached out and felt a depth of grief. The Runewood was a place of acceptance of sorrow, but the spirit didn’t seem to be accepting anything.
Suddenly, Nyxxa and Sol remembered the ship of kvaldir that emerged from the mist covered in covered bodies. They realized this spirit was unworthy of the Halls of Valor, but was being protected from being found so he would not be brought to Helheim.
Symma mused that the man may have been found worthy to be saved. And the more that she looked at the bark of the trees, the more she realized it looked like they had faces.
Symma asked Nyxxa to translate, and she tried to relay to the spirit that he was not less worthy, and he had been chosen to help play guardian to the beautiful wood he was within. The spirit looked at them.
Symma corrected he wasn’t unworthy, he was just picked to fight a different battle. The spirit turned back to the wood, and they all felt it grow deeper as if welcoming him to it.
The spirit faded away with the drop of a seed, and more leaves fell as if to tuck in the new seed that had been planted. Hilaire spoke a prayer, and the group of them turned to follow after her.
Nyxxa was hit with a profound wonder of what her role would be after she left, and Lantresor placed a hand on her shoulder. He asked if she was alright, and she admitted she wanted to be fine, as she had questions she didn’t think she’d get answers to, but Lantresor said that he believed she would find them. Nyxxa rested her head on his shoulder.
The group followed Hilaire for a while. The curious thing about the Field of Fallen Kings, was there were no ghosts to be seen there. There were offerings on some of the graves, and periodically a drizzle would fall on the field, and it froze into snow. Symma found a massive bird footprint in the snow, and for a moment she thought it was an arakkoa’s, but it was actually one of Huginn’s.
Eventually, they found themselves at a higher point of the field with a beautiful view. Hilaire said the grave of the Eternal Queen should be overlooking the loch, and as they approached, they saw the greatest of any of the graves they had seen. There was a statue of a beautiful winged woman with her arms outstretched, a great spear planted before her. Lining the stone cliffs were easily 100 unlit candles along with flowers and coins and other gifts left to honor the woman that rested there. It should have been a wonderful sight.
But what they saw were hundreds of offerings that had been plundered and defiled. The stone statue was defaced, and its wings were broken off with its outstretched hands severed. Where there should have been a spear, there was nothing, and the cairns were tipped over and slashed. Where the bones of the Eternal Queen were interred, there was a messy hole with nothing left.
Kneeling over the empty grave was a vrykul woman they did not recognize. She was young. She might have been in her 20s. She had dark skin and red hair beneath a hood, and she was clothed in light armor. A shield was hitched to her side, and her clothing was dirty. She didn’t seem to notice them.
Hilaire’s eyes burned with rage.
Arthak was unable to tell what the woman was doing, but he didn’t think a single woman was capable of exhuming such a large hole with her bare hands. Arthak relayed as much to the group. The woman got to her feet and started to look around to make sure she wasn’t being watched.
The group stepped out to confront her, and they saw a glow in the woman’s eyes. It was active fel magic being used. Some sort of detection spell.
She took a few steps back toward the edge of the cliff.
They saw a strange wisp of gold energy that seemed to be floating around the woman, and she seemed oblivious to its presence. Those that could see it noted it was some sort of spirit.
A voice in Sol’s head, maybe his own, maybe his father’s, observed the woman seemed to recognize the name, and it wasn’t one she wanted to hear.
The woman stepped back with a flash of panic and went to jump off the cliff. However, Arthak activated his stone rune, and she entered a stupor.
She started to tumble off the cliff. Arthak grew big as he rushed after her. He was so, so close, but she slipped through his hand. Symma and Nyxxa took off after her, and Sol attempted to use [Vortex Warp]], but some sort of unconscious will resisted the spell.
Symma reached out and used [Feather Fall], and she and Nyxxa were able to catch up. She remained in the stupor, and Seria transformed into a large flying beast to help pull her fully back up the cliff.
Now that her face was revealed, they noted she had a poorly-maintained undercut and burn scars on her face. Hilaire offered rope to tie her up. Symma noted the woman had the signs of being on the run, and Arthak observed that the burn on her face was a handprint that seemed to be seared by fel fire.
Nyxxa said she felt that they shouldn’t tie her up.
Sol used [Detect Thoughts], and the woman’s thoughts were befuddled, she was just thinking of her mother. But as he directed his attention to the spirit, he heard three words: Sigryn. Be strong.
Sol agreed they should try again with her, and he directed his focus to the spirit and said they just wanted to help.
The group gave her some space, but they made sure she didn’t have a clean path to jump off the cliff again. The woman came too, and she started immediately, but rapidly realized she was surrounded.
Nyxxa translated and asked the woman if a spirit was following her. The woman was very confused, and they explained what happened.
Sol tried to imitate the voice and Nyxxa created an illusion of the spirit.
She looked at the scar.
She wasn’t telling the whole truth.
She looked at Hilaire.
Sigryn shook her head.
The group agreed, and she said she would tell them everything, about how they came in the night to kill them all, and how before that she received the… gift from her father.
