Sypher holds up a hand while bending over with the other on his knee.  When he speaks, it's his normal, soft voice.  "Give me about four minutes...and I'll be able to help."

Beloc nods. "Anything we can do in the meantime to prepare, Kallium?"

"We're all going to need total clarity of mind. Also, Beloc, since you have knowledge of what this place once was, you and I will be the leads on this. You'll be our start, and I'll be the finish. I will supply the old magics, and you will focus in on your deep harmony with nature. Think about things like the balance of life and death in the forest; how those who are gone played a role here and deserve their slumber. Rebort will help shape the arcane lattice that makes up the sigil. With his ability to process complex operations, he will be our focus for giving shape. And if the lattice could be thought of as the bones of the sigil, Shiaran will be providing the arcane muscles and tendons that hold it all together. She'll need to be focused purely on how arcane magics can protect and seal. Sypher will provide a sense of purity to it all; the covering over the muscle to protect it. His role will be that of placing his hope, his empathy, and his sense of justice into near palpable form. Through him, I will be binding it all together. And lastly, our goblin friend here, Krem was it? You, if you don't mind, will be keeping an eye out for anything that could interrupt the process. I'm not sure if you all met Porthos Longleaf, but when I set my original sigil into place, his role was that of guardian to it all. Even if the guardian isn't directly involved, the arcane weave takes into account even the smallest actions around it.".

Sypher appears in good enough shape to do his part as Kallium is wrapping up his explanations.

"If everything is in order, let's begin. Everyone but Krem, come and place a hand on Sypher. I will be able to reach out to you enough to give you visual clarity on what's in front of us. I will also leave Sypher's body to individually help guide you in the process".

Shiaran once more places her hand in Sypher's, their fingers intertwined.

Beloc walks over to Apache and takes a knee. "Alright boy, I need you to help Krem guard the circle and attack anything that tries to interfere."

Apache barks in affirmation and trots over by Krem and takes up watch with him.

Beloc walks back over to Sypher and kneels down beside him. With one hand on Sypher and the other planted firmly on the ground, he begins to tap into his nature magic. "Obad-Hai, hear my call. This land is falling out of balance and the souls of your followers since past now grow restless. Guide my hand in returning them to your gentle embrace and cleanse this area of the foul trace of magic that seeks to undermine all that is beautiful and good here."

As Beloc prays, a breeze around them begins to pick up. The sweet smell of life and hope rides on the wind, bolstering and connecting all within the area. The very ground begins to pulse with life, binding the group together through its energy.

Beloc speaks in druidic to Apache, commands are italicized.

As Beloc continues his prayer, the magic rising up around them urges R.E.B.O.R.T. to begin his part.

With a single hand on Sypher, he draws elaborate runes in the air with his other. The compartments in his forearms open and from them emerge an entirely new set of mechanical appendages. All four hands, fast at work, begin to coalesce the magic into a near physical manifestation. The runes hang in the air above Sypher's head as they lock into place. One by one, R.E.B.O.R.T. traces more runes connecting the ones over Sypher to himself. Once those settle into place, he takes his hand off Sypher without fear of breaking the connection and applies the same process to Beloc and then Shiaran.

With each individual now bound in unity by the runes, R.E.B.O.R.T. draws another circle of runes on the ground all around them. When the circle completes, the runes lock into place and two columns of identicle runes arc over to the other side forming a dome. The sigil's skeletal structure now complete.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:47, Sat 09 Dec 2017.

Shiaran places Sypher's hand on her shoulder then begins to weave.

Where Rebort's lattice was geometry and structure, her's is wild and powerful.  Fibrous coils wrap intricately around one another, spiraling into tight weaves with no seams.  Reds and blues and deep purples reminiscent of the interior of a living being fill the shapes Rebort built.  Shiaran's motions mimicked those of the magic and her body danced.  It was not the provocative dance of a tavern girl, but the wild and free dance, almost like a child at play.  The tendrils attached to the structured spells like ligaments and tendons.  As the magic filled in the construct so that it obscured everything on the other side, Shiaran spoke in her strange, arcane language.

"Kai kath hoson apokeitai tois anthropois hapax apothanein meta de touto kriois.  Desméfste aftí ti sfragída me to pnévma thárros, óste ekeínoi pou érchontai na perásoun. Gia ton Parádeiso í to Thlípsi, ópos diatázei i krísi, na min diaschízoun poté apó to éna sto állo kai poté na min xanagínoun se mas. Afíste to kaló na lávei tin anápafsí tous kai to kakó ti díkaii antamoiví tous.
Ópos o Theós apofásise,
ópos o Theós kálese,
epeidí o Theós eínai agápi."

The wind blows through the Orchard in increasing fury, lifting Shiaran's hair into a whirling crown of ribbons.  With a final thrust of palms forward into the center of the mix, she draws all the work together into a complete weave.  In an otherworldly voice akin to her arcane casting, she calls out.  "Sypherion.  Now."

Sypher runs a hand down Shiaran's arm from her shoulder maintaining contact the entire time.  He slips his free hand in between her palms into the center of the glowing arcane structure, fingers shaped like a knife.  There is a shift of color, a golden-white oval that transforms the red and blue and purple around Sypher's hand.  He nods and Shiaran removes her hands.

When Sypher speaks, it holds the same power as Shiaran's incantation, the otherworldliness of Kallium's voice, but the heart and spirit and thought are all Sypher.  Into the prayer he pours his love, his righteousness, his desire for peace for both the living and the dead, and the power of Ieovah.

As he speaks, the golden light subsumes all other color until the whole thing glows in radiant light, a completed work of magical and spiritual art.

"Father, hear my prayer.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this, the Judgment.  Bind this seal in spirit divine, that those who come may pass.  To Paradise or Torment as judgment decrees, to never cross from one to the other, and never through to us again.  Let the good receive their rest and the evil their just reward.
As God decreed,
as God has called,
for God is love.

In the name of your only unique Son, Amen."

Shiaran echoes the last word and Sypher removes his hand.  The glowing seal is ready for Kallium's final touch.  Sypher releases control of his body back to the ghost.

As the entire scene is bathed in bright golden hues, Sypher can feel Kallium tapping in to his spiritual connections, drawing strength. His movements are no longer his own, tracing symbols in the air that hang with arcane brilliance, speaking words he does not understand. His hands clasp together into a series of gestures, each one emitting a shock-wave of energy that distorts and bends the light around them. Out of body visions of the group flash through Sypher's mind, days and nights rush past in such a blur that he can see the trees further wither and decay, before being consumed by fungi and beetles. The visions extend outward now to everyone, even Rebort.

The days and nights now play in reverse, moving as the same speed. Entire years pass and for brief milliseconds groups of elves gathered for funeral rights flash before everyone's eyes, with trees being reduced to saplings prior to. The forest encroaches on the orchard, and eventually swallows it whole. Withered plant life appears in an instant and turns to lush, blooming flora before shrinking back down into the ground. Suddenly the entire forest stunts in growth and is reduced to nothing. The soil beneath their feet gives way to black, globular rock - though the group does not fall, instead remaining stationary in the air. Lava courses and flows backwards until there is nothing left beneath but the blue of ocean. The ley lines of the spectral energy persist, weaving and converging on the location.

Time seems to freeze now, and ahead where the rift is located, the pulsing energy behind the sigil is feint and small, until it winks out into nothingness behind the arcane array. A portal of blue opens near where the sigil is, and a sinewy figure wrapped from head to toe in scraps of white linen steps forth. It cocks its head to the side, puzzled by the sight of the sigil, and then it looks directly at the group hovering above the waters below. It gives a nod, as a large scythe materializes into its hand. With a flick of its wrist, the scythe rips a hole open through the very fabric of time and space, creating the rift in the fault line. Within seconds, the ghostly forms of mariners lost to time, all manner of sea fairing folk from above and below the depths make their way towards the location. Each approaches the sigil and passes through, winking out once they come in to contact with the rift.

Suddenly the rift emits and bright, blinding flash of white light, and everyone finds themselves looking through their own eyes again, and standing in the Dead Orchard. The ritual is complete, and the sigil stands strong, persisting through all time now to stand guardian over the spectral fault.

Everyone is overcome with a sense of fatigue. With deeps breaths both trying to slow breathing, and with relief, hands are removed from Sypher.

Kallium physically manifests himself from Syphers body; a broad smile beaming across his slender face. "My friends. No... My brethren. The deed is done. This location is now protected for all who would pass through its gates".

In the distance, a diesel engine can be heard slowly making its way towards the orchard.

"That'd be Grintome.  Right on time."  Shiaran smirks.  She turns to the ghost. "Thanks, Kallium.  See ya later...much later."

Kallium looks off in the distance. "About that...".

Sypher found a fallen tree trunk and sat down, waiting for Kallium's explanation.  He had felt something in the back of his mind throughout the vision, something he couldn't quite figure out.  Using his time to sit, he caught his breath and waited.

"Now that I'm strong enough to take on a more corporeal form - thanks to Sypher - I intend to accompany you. For a time at least. With any luck, I can pass on the temporal sigil spell work to Shiaran or Rebort, if not both. But for now, there is no way to ensure the remaining rifts are gated without my aid. I am not bound to this place now, for whatever reason. Be it divine intervention, or just some fluke in an arcane ley line somewhere, I am not called here. I feel.. free". He pauses for a moment "And, best of all, I wont need to hitch a ride on someone, so there's that small silver lining".

The thrumming of the diesel motor comes to full as it creeps through the under brush and out into the edge of the Orchard. It shuts down and Darius slowly lets himself out of the drivers seat, assisted by his cane. "Well that certainly was grand show for magically minded. I could sense all sort of spells and weaves going on out here. What's the status, is the rift clos- Oh?" he stops, looking in the direction of the unseen sigil. "That, that's some serious spell work" he says, letting out a low whistle while admiring the handy work. He then looks over at Kallium. "One more crew member for the road?".
This message was last edited by the player at 17:17, Tue 12 Dec 2017.

Shiaran contemplates Kallium for a moment. "Ten platinum it was that guy with the sickle. "

Kallium looks quizically at Shiaran before realizing what she means. "Perhaps. Though I didn't feel anything when whoever he was showed up"

Darius looks even more confused but chooses to keep quiet.

Beloc ignores the witty banter to ask Kallium, "How long can this new physical manifestation last, are we on any sort of timetable here? Also, can you dematerialize, if needs be?"

R.E.B.O.R.T. walks over to some of the pumpkin remains of where the Kingpin had been fighting and scoops up a sample. "Physical possession of inanimate objects. Fascinating, and worth further investigation." He looks back to the Badger. "D'won, take this back to the workshop."

The little construct emerges from the vehicle, snatches the sample from R.E.B.O.R.T. and scurries back to the Badger.

"Those who I spoke to, gave me the impression that the ability was at will, and whenever. Stepping between the material and ethereal planes of existence, leaping in to living and inanimate objects, they seemed to be able to do it all. Though beyond being able to simply stand here, I couldn't tell you how to do any of those things right now. I'm just happy to be in some state of solidity. Even if I could pick up a rifle and fight again though, the PCA necromancers would just as soon enslave me I'm sure. And there is the chance I am indeed on borrowed time. I suppose I don't have the answer to that. Being dead doesn't come with a field manual unfortunately".

In a sudden realization, Darius hobbles over to the ghostly elf, and looks him up and down. "Kallium?" he says, half in disbelief.

"In the flesh. Well, what's left of it of course" he says, looking down at the three gaping holes in his chest and abdomen.

Darius turns serious. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop this, my friend".

Kallium waves a hand dismissively. "You and I both know this has nothing to do with you. Besides, we stopped exchanging life debts a long while ago. I win by the way. I got the last one you know?".

Darius looks down at his crippled leg. "Yeah. That you did".

Krem pipes up. "Oi don't mean t' be the bearer a' bad news, but me ears are pickin' up gun shots to the south. They's far off a'course, but if any a' them smarter spooks gets a whiff of a trail on us, well... Oi'm not one to be caught with me pants down".

The slight smirk Darius wears returns to his face. "You sure about that?" he says with a grin, while gesturing around the orchard.

Krem holds up a finger to protest, but has nothing and flings his hands up as if to shoo Darius away. "Whadaya say Beloc, we packin' up and shovin' off?".

"Yes, we should press on. If everything holds the way Kallium describes, we shouldn't have to worry about this place anymore." He looks over to holey ghost, "How close is the next one? Also, I have news of your son. We can catch up along the way."

"I can't tell how close they are, but I can clearly see the ley lines that bind them all together. I see a line going somewhat southwest, the way you came - and in the direction our goblin friend hears fighting - and one that travels north by northwest... towards.. the capitol? Maybe somewhere in the mountains? It's hard to say. They don't seem to travel in a completely straight line, and it could waver over time". He nods at the bit about his son.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:52, Thu 14 Dec 2017.

"We'll head to the mountains next.  Pack it up, gentlemen.  Our vacation here is over. "  Shiaran heads to the vehicle and hops in the driver's seat.

Sypher turns to Kallium.  "Glad to have you with us, Kallium."

He looks at Beloc, shakes his head and smiles apologetically regarding Shiaran.  Then he climbs aboard and takes his seat.

"Heading north will take us right through Firewyrm clan territory. Last time I dealt with them, the negotiations didn't go so well. In fact, that's what Meliam and I were on our back from when we all came to be such great friends." Beloc adds with a smile. "I'll have no influence with the likes of them, but at least they shouldn't attack us on sight."

Kallium pops a spectral head up through the hood of the Badger. "Given the dire times, I believe that to be a fair assessment of the barbarians. The enemy of my enemy and all that". His head disappears back under the vehicle's hood. "I'm actually a little excited to see how this all works once its running" he says with a muffled voice.

Krem hoists himself up in to the back seat, and settles in, with Darius following behind him. Once everyone is on board and seated, the engines fire up and rumble with life. Shiaran almost swears she can hear muffled exclamations of "fascinating!" and "amazing!" from under the hood. The Badger lumbers off back in to the brush, and is swallowed by the remnants of the fog. North bound and ready for anything, the mission carries on.



END OF CHAPTER 3