The regrets of darkness [Crystal Swords Battle]

[Jake Narmolanya]

The dragon sword vibrated with energy, and Jake's ethereal steed swelled and then burst in a wave of green light. It washed outwards in all directions, cleansing the fatigue from Jake's muscles and offering its healing energies to any of his allies within a twenty yard radius. Long vanished, and Jake dropped to the ground behind the monster as the earth split and a mighty dragon loomed out of the rift.

Going against all of his natural instincts, Jake turned and fled the scene of the battle between the two titans. He dodged shards of falling crystal and rock, and then dove into a hollow where to large boulders leaned against one another. His green eyes peered out of the dark space, slightly shaking hands still clutching the dragon sword's hilt. Sharp crystals peppered the ground, shattering on the stones that protected him and piercing the unprotected flesh of the behemoth that still menaced the crystal warriors. Its thrashing tentacles lashed every which way, but Jake had found a safe space within the confines of the rocks.

The half elf shook with waning adrenaline, his legs threatening to give out. Long had temporarily dispelled his fatigue, but it was still there, clinging to the contours of his very bones. Jake swayed and sunk to a seated position as crystals rained down all around him. What about the others? What about Amari? He struggled to crawl out of his miniature cavern but a falling stone sealed him inside.

What now? The half elf wondered, there's nothing I can do, and I'm trapped in this... The dragon sword suddenly began vibrating again, and a soft green glow filled the protective cave. Jake gripped the sword in both hands as the glow surrounded him, and then he was gone.

The familiar feeling of teleporting over a great distance comforted Jake, and then he found himself seated on the floor of the shop where he'd been arguing about the dragon blade. The proprietor looked down at him in shock, and despite his own confusion, Jake stood up sharply.

"See?" He demanded, "I told you it was bloody well magic!"

[Philomel]

Like twinkling, glistening, dazzling rain, the crystals fell.

Beneath them the small collection of mentally linked beings took in a collective sigh. The mighty earth dragon, his form facing against the kraken opponent, his breath beginning to burn deadly skin abrasions into the dark flesh, rolled up his deep brown eyes as the world shuddered. Many times had he faced the catastrophic convulsions that his lady, Philomel, could sent through the earth - but this was different. This was not subjective, angled or determined. Instead, this thundering disturbance filled the entire cavern and the crystals began to fall.

Swift as a coursing river, the mighty dragon closed his maw and twisted around. Leaving his vines to continue to flourish and produce spores that would in turn produce more flowers, and then remain until they were physically ridden off, spewing more and more of this deadly red perrenial blossom. Hissing, savagely devouring whatever flesh it came to.

Front paws working hard, and mouthing opening once more to begin directly eating the rock before him, Delath shoved his form into the earth of which he was formed. He had come, but now time was of the attitude that he should go, at least to a hundred feet safety where the peace could be found. The crystals - he new not what they were, or what power they possessed but their size spoke of fatal and destructive properities, neither which he deemed necessary to endure. After all, he had done what he had needed to, and come to the surface to hinder to some extent the beast that had been threatening the lives of his companions. Now he would flee, and wait. Wait until the quaking had passed and once more fate could allow him to banquet upon the eyes of this horror.

Not far away, Philomel watched as her transcendent weapon fled of his own will. Graciously, the faun accepted his decision, knowing full well that he was a dragon and could never fully be tamed. He at least had the power of instinct, strong enough to bade him dive to safety from these falling gemstones. Philomel and Veridian was another quesitons however - they had merely the covering of a static rock and it did nothing in way of providing immediate shelter. A simple teleport would hardly solve any direct issues, as far as she could remember the crystals were present over the entire cavern roof.

Therefore, any time taken to use the earth portal would be of little avail.

The answer came strangely and somewhat bemusingly. Naked after her tirade as the Dire Goat Born of Instinct, Philomel found that her hand rested upon the hilt of the Rabbit Sword, once more mysteriously appearing with her. Its white blade shone in the shimmering light of the crumbling crystals, iridescent to the sight and boldly radiating. Before it had come, unspoken, to her aid, twisting vines around her body to instensify her althetics. Now, she mused, it might do the same. Delath was fast making his escape, and shards that were light were already smashing into the ground. The heavier pieces - like a shaking boulder directly above Veridian's nose, would surely crush them to death.

Desperately, Philomel grabbed the sword, and held it above her head. Into her will she poured her desire to survive, her longing to protect those most dear to her.

Protect them ... Protect my darling -

Suddenly, from the point of the upturned sword burst dozens of moss green small rabbits. They hopped unnaturally into the air, spiralling into existence from the blade. More came, a sea of them like a tsunami that caused their numbers to head into the hundreds, then into the thousands as they headed straight into the sky, and came to the contact of the crystals. Just as they touched these, the shapes seemed to merge together, blossoming out like Delath's fire, and the dark squelches of dire consequences, knitting a tight hold over the crystals threatening to descend. More came, fluttering in a wonderous array and stopping the falling sparkling stone in its tracks. As they kept coming, the mossy cover expanded out, creating a crystal-formed dome over the top of the faun and fox, until gently they stopped coming and -

The crystals, halted in their direction, began to slip down and crash to the ground. Down the round of the dome, down away from the heads of the blanketed mistress and earth-spirit. They smashed with light crrsshhh-shinnggs to the rock beneath, shattering into pieces - but then they were already far enough away from Philomel and Veridian, caused so by the mossy cover. From underneath it, Philomel could see a hazy green world, light barely getting through, but streaking as sunshine would through trees of a spring forest, holding this peace and this silence until the world was alive with the sound of the tinkles and crashes.

Her breath held. She stared around, sword still up even though the swarm had by now long stopped. Gently, she breathed in and her slate-grey eyes met the golden ones of her beloved and she felt, calmly, strongly ...

Oh my.

[Storm Veritas]

The flailing of the great monstrosity was deafening as Storm and Orshi backpedaled, slashing near blindly at the noodly appendages of doom. The beast was insufferable, immense, unyielding. Others seemed to be moving, disappearing, assaulting the core. Delath had arrived with aplomb, shaking loose more of the heavy shimmering crystals upon the inken abomination. Sweating, bleeding, the warriors reeked of desperation.

“The hell do we get out of here? Think I can blow a hole in the wall?” Storm’s tone was questioning, uncertain, and weak. He feared this cave would be the end; it felt inevitable. Despite his age, the wisened Master Orshi shared his pessimism.

“Unless you can blow a hole in a goddamned mountain, I doubt it. Keep fending off the tentacles; believe in Amaleh.”

If there is a God, or Gods, she sure as shit ain’t lookin’ out for me, old man…

Within a moment, the wizard deflected a massive tentacle with a makeshift shield in the form of the chestplate he had liberated. Suction-like force grabbed the armor and tore it from his grasp, as though it were flicking a small bug from summer-warmed skin. The power was preposterous, the time fleeting.

Shit, there goes my ride.

He had backed into the wall behind him, feeling the unyielding, slime-coated rock of the cavern. Spreading his hands wide, a soft hum begat the wall as he looked hard to his left. Upon the rock wall, his hand had pressed through what appeared to be wet granite. Like ripples of water upon a still pool, a glowing pulse of white and luminescent blue and purple popped to life, humming with energy.

“Holy shit!” The exclamation of Master Orshi nearly knocked Storm to the ground. It wasn’t every day an aged monk defied death and found a portal upon the end of his days.

The constant barrage of tentacles was paralyzing; there was nowhere for the tandem to move. The Rat spun wildly and furiously through the air, cleaving tiny bits and keeping the relentless assault mildly at bay. They were only feet from the newfound portal, but could not turn their backs for the moment to dive.

“Blast that big sonofabitch one time for me and let’s go!” The great monk was at his wit’s end, speaking in tones he hoped the wizard would digest more easily.

The f*ck is this coming from, old man? Maybe you’re okay after all.

“Cover me. Just a second.” Storm began collecting energy in his right hand, a mighty spinning orb of white and blue. Orshi was kicking, clawing, slashing and tearing at the tentacles before the electromancer.
Amaleh, save me.

A single blast erupted once more from the mighty wizard, rocking the ceiling of the great cavern once more. Crystals, already shaken loose from the work of Delath, continued to fall en masse at the titanic enemy. Recoiling for a second, the monk and the mage dove through the portal, which closed with a hiss… pop.

~~~

“You get breakfast? Wait, sugar, what’s going on!?”

The well-heeled whore Storm had ended his evening with was sitting up in bed, her nose and cheeks red from a recent overserving of red wine. Soft alabaster skin was quickly covered with a bedsheet as the two warriors entered the tavern bedroom together, Storm covered in only sweat pants, fresh wounds, and slime. The monk looked wildly at the girl, and again at his newfound companion, unsure of what to make of the whole ordeal.

“Friend of yours?” The old man began to regain his pious judgment, casting a leering glare at the wizard who had saved him only moments before.

Gazing down as the sword he grasped scratched at the hardwood floor below, Storm considered how to escape his new predicament. His options were looking far more reasonable, all-be-they no less absurd.

[Rayleigh]

All hell broke loose.

From her place on the ground, distracted by the trembling earth and approaching minions, Josette was not entirely sure what caused the chaos. It may have been the massive rabbit, and the equally massive crack it carved into the cavern floor. It may have been the mighty bellow of rage that the warriors ripped from the tentacled nightmare. Or, it may simply have been something else entirely, as mysterious and nonsensical as this entire experience had been. She had been whisked away from her cheap room, and thrown into a battle demons. One had been covered in tentacles, one had been invisible, and one had nearly swallowed an entire lake. Her sword had summoned a flaming horse, and she had actually ridden it. The knight cast a sideways glance at the steed, who watched her with gold-flecked eyes. Arianne's eyes. No, why would Josette assume that anything in this place had a logical explanation?

Regardless of the cause, the crystals that dangled precariously far above her began to shudder. Then, with groans and cracks that echoed too loudly in the great chamber, they broke free. The crystals did not twist or stumble as they fell through the air. Rather, it was with the certainty of a dagger plunging into flesh that the shards struck the beast. And again, the beast screamed. This time, it was a wail of pain.

Unfortunately, the behemoth's screams were joined by those of its attackers. The crystals plummeted with no regard for who stood beneath them Though the monster appeared to finally meet its doom, the mere mortals who surrounded it faced the same fate. So they fled, some lunging through portals, others merely sprinting toward the cave's distant mouth. As a woman who lacked the ability to "magic" her way out, Josette opted for the latter.

Even Ma, the wise and patient mare, was nickering a low warning by the time her charge neared. "Will you not vanish on me?" Josette asked of the equine, who had nothing to offer in response. The knight did not allow her the opportunity anyway, clambering atop her back even as the mare began moving forward. Together, they cantered away from the dying beast, and toward the light that promised safety. Josette could not say in which region, or which world, they would emerge. Yet as the crystals continued to fall, a closing curtain on a stage of violence and carnage, she decided wherever she ended up would be better than what she left behind.

(Note: This was meant to be posted on the "Josette" account! Apologies!)

[Philomel]

The rabbits began to shimmer and fade to nothing. Their coats, a vibrant mixture of greens and browns, began to darken and seemingly merge with all the shades of the cavern. Vines weakened, bonds became undone, receding smoothly back into the mammalian bodies that they had spread from. Slowly the dome that had covered them from the destruction of the world began to dissapate, and for once the two beings caught beneath its protection could see what was left of their small cavern existence.

The crystals that had met the swarm had slid down and crashed, to create a ring around them of glittering, white-blue shards. The rock that had provided some protection whilst Philomel had recovered stood itself, alone amongst the wreckage, a sprinkling of iridescence upon it. Eyes wandering slowly around, slowly seeing as the rabbits themselves merged back into the upturned blade and negitive reality, the faun and the fox took in what was, and what had finally ended.

Silent as the grave, the splattered remains of the behemoth kraken and his black, squelching kin littered the craggy landscape. From jagged wall to boulder embankment globules of the thick, jet liquid oozed, were splattered and lay. Sharp daggers of crystals pierced the hide of the monstrous beast, quelling it to death, and still stuck outwards from its flesh, making a serrated, rugged, barbed crown that stuck into the sky.

Slowly the Matriarch breathed in, taking in her surroundings, and even dared a smiled. Her arms lowered, letting the not dully glowing blade settle back to the ground. She could feel, deeper into the earth, Delath recoiling, swirling and observing, waiting for her to depart. It made her pause, and think: now that the battle was over, where were they supposed to go? What were they supposed to do? They had arrived in a form of teleport to this cavern, now uplit by an eerie presence of splintered fragments, by way of summoning, of teleport. Biting the inside of her lip she began to search around for some clue of where in Althanas they might be - the idea being not suitable for the duration of this potentially murderous war - and a potential way out. A dark door, a narrow vestibule, anything that would signify -

Philomel.

Looking down she saw Veridian, and in his mouth was a strap of her chestplate. Frowning, she remembered little of taking it off, but realised then that it was gone, and she was in fact naked from the top down. Her mind drifted to faint memories of running around as the dire goat of destruction and realisation settled in.

Ah, thank you, she said, leaning down to take the item from her beloved.

Veridian gave a small nod once his mouth was free. And ...

He leapt back a little, to reveal the carefully folded presentation of her belt, fabric combined there, and all weapons combined. It was given with hilts pointing towards her, and the rock behind, possibly having been there all this time but lost in the distraction of the events.

Where did you find that? She asked.

Near here, he said in a pleased voice, Your drakescale protection near the squid-beast, these, he nosed the weaponry, Just here. If I remember rightly the Storm one had them once you transformed, and put them here.

Indeed? Philomel arched an eyebrow as she reached to also take up the bundle. How very kind of him. Is he still here?

He seems to have disappeared already, Veridian said with a note of curiosity, As have a few others, including the suicidal red-haired girl. She jumped right into the belly of the monster, did you see?

I did, Philomel frowned a little, as she pulled on her belt, once more wrapping the familiar weight on her hips and waist. It was pleasing to feel such, to know the recognisable burden. She was enraged after Shinsou ... died? Went? Something ...?

Just as her heart began to grow heavy from the rememberance of his possible doom, and one of the initial reasons for her raging states, Philomel broke off, a look of unease coming to her face. If he was gone, it was certainly something to despair of. After all he had been a good friend, a decent associate, a -

The world suddenly began to shimmer. The very light began to twist, and fade. As the thoughtful faun pushed the rabbit blade into her belt, there was a strong smell of forest was in the air, a breeze that hit her suddenly and angrily. It was cold, colours twirled before her and Veridian and then -

She looked up, blinking and gasping. Eyes glancing down she saw the fox beloved beside her, looking equally confused as they found themselves back on top of the wall of the Gilded Lily's fortress. The breeze that had blown in their fur, filling it with such hope had returned, the pulsating sun feeling fresh onto their flesh. A great fire was in the courtyard, women of all forms and races were walking, smiling, enjoying in the summer sun; it was if none had noticed. No one had seen Philomel and her earth-spirit companion vanish under the summer heat, to be whisked away to a place of doom and near-death. Possible death if one counted Shinsou.

Slowly, the wind died, the gust becoming a breeze, then settling down to peaceful harmony. The rabbit blade, once intense with light was now a simple white slice, a piece of creation and adventure that soon would be just part of Philomel's erratic life. Memories, thoughts and regrets pounded around the faun's head, along with confusion, as she gazed at her small empire, realising that all this was still hers. Despite what had just occurred, despite the fact that Shinsou -

Barrooom, she felt the twirling of Delath deep in the moutain side, beneath her feet.

So he had come with them after all. And there was the soft brush of Veridian's tail against her leg. That was good. They were good things. They had faced death together, and now they were home from the mysterious cavern, all in one piece - except the odd broken bone. And Veridian's life almost fading. But that was neither here or there. For in truth, the earth-spirit was immortal.

[Hysteria]

The crystals continued to fall. Tons and tons of the glowing rocks smashed into black liquid and creature alike. The warriors fled the carnage as their swords activated and teleported them away. There was no such escape from the creature. It screamed. It howled. Eventually it would die. Not now however. A mortal wound had been dealt, but a creature of the size and dark power would not slip away like a person. It would dissolve, and every moment would be felt.

Far from the gigantic horror a small blackened form stirred. She had taken a lightning bolt to the face and was still smouldering. She reached for a small dark dagger near her, but stopped. Instead she pushed herself to her feet and stumbled towards one of the many tunnels that led away from cavern. Her single giant eye was streaked with red. She would not die, she would continue to evolve.

With that the first saga of the crystal swords drew to an end. The warriors were released, but a few questions remained. What of the other swords? There had been twelve, yet not all had been summoned. Did they remain somewhere? Further, what was the connection between the black liquid and the crystals? Natural enemies, or something deeper? Time would tell, but for now it was silent.

* * * *

Jake Narmolanya receives!

Long, the Dragon
Long, the dragon blade is one of the twelve zodiac crystal swords. The blade is an elegant green and the hilt a vibrant blue. Long’s element is wood. The weapon is a sword composed of a strange crystal the strength of mythril. Long has two magical effects:
Breath - The head of Long appears as a ghostly visage above the wielder. Long sprays the area in front of her with long, thin shards of wood capable of piercing flesh and leather. The damage done is fairly superficial, but the volume makes it potentially deadly. (Three uses)
Call - Long appears behind the wielder, her long green body floating effortlessly in the air for three posts. Anyone touching Long will heal minor wounds, such as cuts and bruises over a post. More more serious wounds will stabilise, but will need two full posts to heal. Fatal wounds will need three full posts to heal. On the second post Long can release her remaining energy and emits a healing aura. Any person or creature friendly to the wielder within twenty metres of Long will have minor wounds completely healed and more serious wounds stabilised. They will also recover some stamina. Long is not stationary, but she is slow. She can move at roughly the speed of a brisk walk. It is possible to ride Long. (Two uses)


Storm receives!

Shu, the Rat
Shu, the rat blade, is one of the twelve zodiac crystal swords. The blade is a clear sky blue with a golden hilt. Shu’s element is shallow water. The weapon is a sword composed of a strange crystal the strength of mythril. Shu has two magical effects:
Infiltrate - Shu appears as up to four small rats composed of water for four posts. While his combat abilities in these forms are limited to a sharp bite, he is linked to the wielder, allowing him to pass on what he is seeing to the wielder of his sword. This allows Shu to infiltrate buildings or similar places, and potentially open doors/locks (if it is physically possible for a rat). In battles Shu offers several additional pairs of eyes. This form is immune to poison and can fit into extremely tight places. (One use)
Hidden - Water from the blade bursts out as a mist and covers the user. For three posts the wielder is hidden from sight. Even the keenest of eyes fail to see through the blades magic. The water even softens the footfalls of the wielder. This can be uses for a combined three posts. Attacking does not cancel the effect of the blade.


Mari receives!

She, the Snake
She, the snake blade, is one of the twelve zodiac crystal swords. The blade is a burning light red with a black hilt. She’s element is a smouldering fire. The weapon is a sword composed of a strange crystal the strength of mythril. She has two magical effects:
Venom - The sword drips with thick red liquid for four posts that burns through anything it touches. Able to burn through leather and flesh easily, it weakens steel and is able to burn through on two strikes. Because the sword drips acid it is possible to flick a few drops at a target for some painful superficial damage. (one use)
Bite - The blade of She turns into a snake, able to bend, twist, and most importantly strike. Any one bitten by She is injected with fire venom that burns below the skin and inflicts intense pain and eats away at the flesh for two inches around the strike. A bite to an arm can render it useless as the muscles are burnt away. A strike to the neck would be deadly. She can inflict two bites a day stay in the snake form for as long as she has a bite left. The downside is that she is nearly useless as a sword in this form and loses her sharp edge. If she is struck while in this form she will revert to her sword form and lose one of her bites.


Josette receives!

Ma, the Horse
Ma, the horse blade, is one of the twelve zodiac crystal swords. The blade is a silver with a sheen of red and the hilt a burnt orange. Ma’s element is a raging fire. The weapon is a sword composed of a strange crystal the strength of mythril. Ma has two magical effects:
Gallop – The form of Ma is temporarily summoned and send galloping in a straight line for ten metres. Given her large body and speed, she can knock down or break through targets with huge force. Her fiery body will also burn on contact and leave a fiery blaze in her wake for two posts. (Three uses)
Ride - Ma is summoned from the blade in her full glory. She stands at 18 hands and in looks is very similar to a Clydesdale. The white on her legs have been replaced with rippling flames and her mane flowing fire. She can be ridden by her wielder and used both for her impressive speed but also brute force. She will last for four posts or until she takes moral damage. (one use)


Phi receives!

Mao, the Rabbit
Mao, the rabbit blade, is one of the twelve zodiac crystal swords. The blade is pure ivory and the hilt a bright green. Mao’s element is a sprouting plant. The weapon is a sword composed of a strange crystal the strength of mythril. Mao has two magical effects:
Kick – Green vines burst from the sword and wrap around the legs of the wielder. The vines are as strong as steel, and while they offer some protection, that is not their main function. Using the amazing tensile strength of the vines the user can kick and jump with tremendous force. A kick can smash steel with ease, while a jump can send her or him flying through the air two dozen meters. The vines may be summoned for a combined three posts.
Swarm - From the tip of the blade erupts a continuous swarm of rabbits made of moss. Once they have swarmed over everything for twenty metres in the direction they were cast they break apart and dozens of small vines burst from each one link them together. The resulting mass of plant matter is as strong as steel. Any unfortunate caught within will have a hard time escaping. (two uses)



The thread will now be submitted for judgement!

[Rayleigh]

Judgmet: The regrets of darkness
Type: No Judgment

Hysteria receives 1,060 EXP and 140 GP.
Jake receives 1,030 EXP and 110 GP.
Shin receives 590 EXP and 45 GP.
Phi receives 1,760 EXP and 135 GP.
Mari receives 1,125 EXP and 100 GP.
Storm receives 1,835 EXP and 110 GP.
Josette receives 730 EXP and 100 GP.

[Rayleigh]

All rewards have been added. Congratulations to Hysteria on the level up!