Season 8 finale - Ascension - Ghesh (01/07/21)
Jul 3, 2021 10:31:17 GMT
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Grimes, Merla, the Daughter of Summer, and 4 more like this
Post by Ghesh on Jul 3, 2021 10:31:17 GMT
As the smoke obscured most of the room Ghesh turns around to catch sight of only a handful of people. Mace, Pieni and Grimes are in the same corner of chaos, and striding towards them through the thick fog is the towering form of Queen Titania.
“I need your help. Follow me.”
Exchanging glances, Ghesh throws the archer he was restraining to the floor as Mace offers some words of ‘encouragement’ to the group, and they move along after her. She holds her glowing sword to the ground and the five of them are swirled away from the mayhem.
Into a different chaos.
As they land onto this new ground, the area is immediately warmer. Looking up it is easy to see why. They are in a forest, and every inch of it is on fire.
“This is the realm of the Summer Spirit. And this fire is their last effort to cleanse their home of those who fight them. We must find them and help. But forgive me, who are you all?”
As the group introduce themselves, Titania pauses while taking in the blue aarakocra.
“So, you are Pieni. The one who was involved in the collapse of the Court of Glory, and sided with Jack during the Amaranthine games.”
She regards him for a moment, a brief flicker of…annoyance? suspicion? across her face. It is hard to read an archfey’s expression.
Suddenly, out of the flames, two unseelie assassins leap towards Titania, and one lands a hit on her dazzling form. There seems to be more to the attack than just physical damage though, and she suddenly looks less poised as her shoulders drop and she struggles slightly to keep her sword aloft. Quickly regaining her stature, she begins to move quickly through the trees, with the adventurers following alongside. Ghesh offers her his potion of hill giant strength which she takes but holds onto rather than drinking it immediately.
Ghesh and Grimes take the perimeters of the group, using their fighting experience to push back against the assassins, who seem to keep coming out of nowhere. Mace has the idea to find some lower ground to escape the toxic smoke and quickly locates a route.
Pieni however, he takes in the scene around him and appeals to the Summer Spirit themselves that this new group of people to arrive are not hostile but are here to help. And the Spirit seems to hear him. The flames still rage around the group, but curl upwards and away as they traverse the fierce landscape. Titania catches Pieni’s eye and seems to reconsider this companion.
They continue through the woods and out across a field of corn. Reaching the other side, there is now no more foliage to burn and the fire and smoke disperses. Titania pauses, planting her sword into the ground and closes her eyes, trying to sense the direction to the Summer Spirit.
Out from the verge of the corn, shadows appear as 10 unseelie creep towards them. Once again jumping into action, Grimes and Ghesh take opposite ends of the line of attackers, while Mace fires some powerful crossbow shots at the approaching assassins. Pieni helps to restore Titania to her full strength once more.
As the fight rages around her, Titania sighs and raises from her meditation to run one through with her longsword, then returns to her focus. With every hit dealt to them, they all feel their strength sapping until finally Pieni falls, no longer able to hold himself up or hold life inside of him.
From the moment that his eyes close and he begins to drop, four giant red-furred apes emerge from the air around him.
Spurred on by this, everyone else quickly dispatches the remaining fighters then rush to his side. Grimes pulls out a diamond, ready to try and revive his friend but Titania holds out her arm.
“That will not work unfortunately. Do you mind if I use this? I think it would be wise.”
She holds out the potion Ghesh gave her earlier, and he nods. After it is poured into his beak, Pieni blinks and slowly stands. He seems momentarily emboldened by this new strength flooding through him. He looks up at Titania as she helps him to his feet, and then throws some diamond dust into the air to return her and Ghesh to their full capabilities. Titania returns to her focus, and Ghesh and Pieni take the opportunity to arm wrestle to see how strong he is after taking the potion. After a few more moments, she stands up.
“Hmm, I can tell they are here but not where they are.”
She looks around, and catches sight of the apes, whose eyes are glowing with radiance. A smile spreads across her face as she glances at Pieni once again.
“So, you summoned them. In most places you would be joined by spirits around you, but in this realm there is only one spirit.”
The apes smile back, and merge into one. However, as they do so, the fur changes from fire red to ash grey and an exhaustion passes over their face. They collapse to the floor in pain, struggling to keep their eyes open. As the group gather around the Spirit to see what can be done to help, out of the flames behind them comes a huge winged, horned creature with a sword and whip of flame.
“There are two things that need doing. I can help with either one, but not both.”
Ghesh looks at the dying spirit and the hulking balrog, and replies to Titania.
“Well, I’m no good with any healing but Pieni certainly is, and Grimes and Mace can do their share too.”
Titania straightens up and her figure grows to around 12ft tall as she raises her blade.
“Shall we?”
“Let’s do it!”
Ghesh charges alongside the Queen of the Summer Court towards the creature.
Meanwhile, Mace begins to weave his words with his own essence to channel energy into the spirit on the ground. Grimes focuses in on his own power, feeling towards the essence that allows him his magic, and lays his hands onto the ape figure. Pieni plucks one of his largest feathers and lays it onto the ashy fur and begins to cast all of the healing magic he can muster.
Amongst the combat and healing, a tear appears in the sky as Ulorian suddenly glances in and sniffs.
“Did someone arrange a barbecue before the voting? No-one will tell me what is going on!”
Everyone looks over towards this new distraction. Titania, mid-swing, glares across at the River King.
“LEAVE.”
He pouts, and backs through the rift he created.
Looking back down at the Summer Spirit, the giant ape is now up on their feet. Red fur blazing, eyes glowing with power, they now also sport a pair of large blue feathered wings. Growing to match the balrog in size, a blast of radiant fire hits the intruder with enough power that they are obliterated in the brightness. The landscape shifts, the fire in the forest fading away and light returning once more.
Gathering together, Titania once again transports the group. They all fall through a portal of light back into the arena where they began, now accompanied by a glowing ball of light as the Summer Spirit joins them. As they brush themselves off, they see the rest of their adventuring companions emerging into the space too from different spirit realms.
The guests gathered once again, instruments handed out for voting, Ghesh slumps on the floor. He mindlessly accepts the drum handed to him by an eladrin but leaves it on its side next to him, with no intention of voting for any archfey to ascend. The music swirls around him, harmonising seamlessly into the song that announced Nicnevin, Queen of the Witching Court, as the new Fey Ascendant.
“I need your help. Follow me.”
Exchanging glances, Ghesh throws the archer he was restraining to the floor as Mace offers some words of ‘encouragement’ to the group, and they move along after her. She holds her glowing sword to the ground and the five of them are swirled away from the mayhem.
Into a different chaos.
As they land onto this new ground, the area is immediately warmer. Looking up it is easy to see why. They are in a forest, and every inch of it is on fire.
“This is the realm of the Summer Spirit. And this fire is their last effort to cleanse their home of those who fight them. We must find them and help. But forgive me, who are you all?”
As the group introduce themselves, Titania pauses while taking in the blue aarakocra.
“So, you are Pieni. The one who was involved in the collapse of the Court of Glory, and sided with Jack during the Amaranthine games.”
She regards him for a moment, a brief flicker of…annoyance? suspicion? across her face. It is hard to read an archfey’s expression.
Suddenly, out of the flames, two unseelie assassins leap towards Titania, and one lands a hit on her dazzling form. There seems to be more to the attack than just physical damage though, and she suddenly looks less poised as her shoulders drop and she struggles slightly to keep her sword aloft. Quickly regaining her stature, she begins to move quickly through the trees, with the adventurers following alongside. Ghesh offers her his potion of hill giant strength which she takes but holds onto rather than drinking it immediately.
Ghesh and Grimes take the perimeters of the group, using their fighting experience to push back against the assassins, who seem to keep coming out of nowhere. Mace has the idea to find some lower ground to escape the toxic smoke and quickly locates a route.
Pieni however, he takes in the scene around him and appeals to the Summer Spirit themselves that this new group of people to arrive are not hostile but are here to help. And the Spirit seems to hear him. The flames still rage around the group, but curl upwards and away as they traverse the fierce landscape. Titania catches Pieni’s eye and seems to reconsider this companion.
They continue through the woods and out across a field of corn. Reaching the other side, there is now no more foliage to burn and the fire and smoke disperses. Titania pauses, planting her sword into the ground and closes her eyes, trying to sense the direction to the Summer Spirit.
Out from the verge of the corn, shadows appear as 10 unseelie creep towards them. Once again jumping into action, Grimes and Ghesh take opposite ends of the line of attackers, while Mace fires some powerful crossbow shots at the approaching assassins. Pieni helps to restore Titania to her full strength once more.
As the fight rages around her, Titania sighs and raises from her meditation to run one through with her longsword, then returns to her focus. With every hit dealt to them, they all feel their strength sapping until finally Pieni falls, no longer able to hold himself up or hold life inside of him.
From the moment that his eyes close and he begins to drop, four giant red-furred apes emerge from the air around him.
Spurred on by this, everyone else quickly dispatches the remaining fighters then rush to his side. Grimes pulls out a diamond, ready to try and revive his friend but Titania holds out her arm.
“That will not work unfortunately. Do you mind if I use this? I think it would be wise.”
She holds out the potion Ghesh gave her earlier, and he nods. After it is poured into his beak, Pieni blinks and slowly stands. He seems momentarily emboldened by this new strength flooding through him. He looks up at Titania as she helps him to his feet, and then throws some diamond dust into the air to return her and Ghesh to their full capabilities. Titania returns to her focus, and Ghesh and Pieni take the opportunity to arm wrestle to see how strong he is after taking the potion. After a few more moments, she stands up.
“Hmm, I can tell they are here but not where they are.”
She looks around, and catches sight of the apes, whose eyes are glowing with radiance. A smile spreads across her face as she glances at Pieni once again.
“So, you summoned them. In most places you would be joined by spirits around you, but in this realm there is only one spirit.”
The apes smile back, and merge into one. However, as they do so, the fur changes from fire red to ash grey and an exhaustion passes over their face. They collapse to the floor in pain, struggling to keep their eyes open. As the group gather around the Spirit to see what can be done to help, out of the flames behind them comes a huge winged, horned creature with a sword and whip of flame.
“There are two things that need doing. I can help with either one, but not both.”
Ghesh looks at the dying spirit and the hulking balrog, and replies to Titania.
“Well, I’m no good with any healing but Pieni certainly is, and Grimes and Mace can do their share too.”
Titania straightens up and her figure grows to around 12ft tall as she raises her blade.
“Shall we?”
“Let’s do it!”
Ghesh charges alongside the Queen of the Summer Court towards the creature.
Meanwhile, Mace begins to weave his words with his own essence to channel energy into the spirit on the ground. Grimes focuses in on his own power, feeling towards the essence that allows him his magic, and lays his hands onto the ape figure. Pieni plucks one of his largest feathers and lays it onto the ashy fur and begins to cast all of the healing magic he can muster.
Amongst the combat and healing, a tear appears in the sky as Ulorian suddenly glances in and sniffs.
“Did someone arrange a barbecue before the voting? No-one will tell me what is going on!”
Everyone looks over towards this new distraction. Titania, mid-swing, glares across at the River King.
“LEAVE.”
He pouts, and backs through the rift he created.
Looking back down at the Summer Spirit, the giant ape is now up on their feet. Red fur blazing, eyes glowing with power, they now also sport a pair of large blue feathered wings. Growing to match the balrog in size, a blast of radiant fire hits the intruder with enough power that they are obliterated in the brightness. The landscape shifts, the fire in the forest fading away and light returning once more.
Gathering together, Titania once again transports the group. They all fall through a portal of light back into the arena where they began, now accompanied by a glowing ball of light as the Summer Spirit joins them. As they brush themselves off, they see the rest of their adventuring companions emerging into the space too from different spirit realms.
The guests gathered once again, instruments handed out for voting, Ghesh slumps on the floor. He mindlessly accepts the drum handed to him by an eladrin but leaves it on its side next to him, with no intention of voting for any archfey to ascend. The music swirls around him, harmonising seamlessly into the song that announced Nicnevin, Queen of the Witching Court, as the new Fey Ascendant.