Am I to assume that Eseriel is talking about Celene?

Also we can assume that Nylaria attacked Eseriel right?

Um, well, maybe. Strange name to call her though.



Yes, from the sounds that Celene hears through the door it is clear that there is a magical combat ongoing in the next room.

Celene opened the door and stepped inside. Leaving room for Aolhan to step in after her "Alohan use the door to limit how many can attack you at once. They shouldn't be a match for you one on one." she said as she got a better view of what was going on inside.

I meant the part about waiting for the girl. Not the bends to wills part.

What? Oh, shit. Okay, totally ignore my last post then.

The door opens at Celene's touch into a large 50' circular room with breathtaking architecture - even more impressive considering that it has been chiselled out of the rock beneath the opera house above. The vaulted ceiling of the room is 30' high and a large figure eight shaped pool stands in the centre of the room, with the feet of a massive porphyry statue resting in each side of it.

The statue is huge cherubic young man that is so tall his head scrapes the ceiling. His angelic smile is somewhat marred by his naked form and massive erect manhood that he holds in two hands. Around the perimeter are almost a dozen other porphyry statues - these are nine feet tall naked young women.

A twin pair of staircase arc gently downwards on the far side of a room to a small doorway to the south. To the east and west there are small flights of stairs leading up to alcove rooms someone reminiscent of a cathedral.

Celene has little time to focus on the statues or architecture though. In the middle of the room, at the base of the statue, her mentor Magnus Eseriel and Nylaria Absalee are locked in mortal combat, their spells flying around the room as they dance around the pool and try to gain an advantageous position and advantage over each other.

"What are you doing here girl?!" shouts Eseriel, as she spots her young student. "Do you have a deathwish?!"

Nylaria hisses and points a finger at Celene. A magical bolt of purple energy shoots out of her finger and Celene only just manages to throw herself against the doorway in time to avoid the blast. It travels through the doorway and hits the lead thug (the one with the broken nose) full on his body. The man screams as the purple light seems to eat into him, and falls to the ground where he quickly crumbles into a puddle of mush. The rest of the thugs pause in their advance for a second.

Photobucket is down so no map tonight then.

As the purple bolt of energy raced through their newly opened door, Alohan had to leap to the side. It almost skewered Alohan alive as he went to set up in the door frame. Alohan remained on the other side, steeling himself against the onslaught of thugs running to meet their efforts.

To prepare for the ass whoopin', Alohan instinctively touched the newly bought magical wand fixed to this loincloth but decided against it -Celene had her own problems. He instead found a particular corked coconut with magics inside that would help protect him. He identified the coconut due to its texture, uncorking it and downing its contents.

They may have stumbled into the beast's lair and Alohan had no idea how they were going to survive this one. Their best course of action would potentially be to flee. "We have ta get outta here" Alohan called over his shoulder.

---

Whoa.. that is one hell of a series of posts.
Potion: Drinking my Shield of Faith (+2).. I was going to spread my caltrops but I am beginning to think it is safer in this room than the ones with the magic users.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 00:05, Tue 25 Oct 2016.

Celene was a bit shocked. She looked from the opera singer to her mentor disgust in her eyes. She let her rage burn up into her arms and coalesce in her palms. Of the two the Diva seemed more of a threat. Helping tip the scales in Eseriel's favor might benefit them now and in the future. Celene sent the flames gathered in her hands towards Nylaria hoping a defense on two fronts would leaver her exposed.

Alohan's words seemed to fall on deaf ears as the sorceress allowed her emotions to control her actions.

Flame Lance on Nylaria.

Battle map. The two 'statues' in the figure eight shaped pool are actually the feet of the large purple boy statue.

Celene times her shot well and the purple flames catch Nylaria exposed. The opera house manager disappears in the blaze for a second, before throwing herself into the figure eight pool in the middle of the room. The woman screams and curses at the sorceress.

Eseriel laughs. "See. She has the gift Nylaria, it is in her blood. It comes naturally to her and she does not need to strive for it like you do."

Nylaria's face curls into a sneer. "Little good it will do her once I have finished with her." She gestures towards Celene and a wave of purple acidic globules shoot out. Celene has to throw herself flat on the floor to avoid being enveloped by them, and by the ferocity with which the acid begins to etch into the rock behind here it appears it was a good thing she did. One of the men advancing on Alohan is caught in the leg by a globule and drops to the floor, screaming as his leg is eaten away. The rest of the men spread out and keep out of line of sight from the battling clerics.

Meanwhile, Eseriel is tried to push forward her advantage, but Nylaria has taken shelter behind the leg of the statue. The opera diva looks up at the huge cherub. "Awaken! Awaken and serve the mistress of the House of Porphyry!"

Eseriel looks up in surprise as the 30' purple statue starts to animate, then a look of concentrate fills her face. "There is only... one... mistress... of this house... Nylaria... and it is me!"

For a few seconds both women are caught up in the test of wills, or perhaps more the contest of authority. Then Nylaria howls in joy as he statue turns towards her and Eseriel slums to the floor dejectedly.

"Yes! Yes! I am the mistress now! Porphyry boy. Kill them! Kill them all, starting with that blonde cow!" The finger pointed at Celene by Nylaria makes it clear who the target is.

The angelic grin never disappears off the boyish statue's face as he grabs his manhood in one hand, lifts it up high and then slams the end down onto the spot where Celene is still lying on the ground. The sorceress rolls away in desperation and the spot where she was a second ago is pummelled by the blow, cracking the paving stones and sending fragments of rock up into the air with a roar.

Meanwhile, Alohan is not directly aware of what is taking place in the next room. But by the acid globules flying past and the sound of cracking paving stones he guesses it is pretty crazy, but maybe not 'gargantuan living statue breaking up the floor with its penis' sort of crazy. He enters into hand to hand combat with the stagehands as they get close. Their hesitation in standing in front of the open doorway prevents them from surrounding him.

Eseriel shots a beam of light at Nylaria, misses, but advances towards Celene as she pulls something from her hair. "Damn it girl! We need to get out of here, use these!" She isn't close enough for Celene to see what the small items in her outstretched hand are.

Celene's heart pounded when the statue came to life and slammed its gigantic erection into the floor nearby. Galvanized by fear Celene rolled to her knees and regained her feet. She moved swiftly to Eseriel's side and looked at what she was offering. Hoping she could make heads or tails of it enough to activate it and effect an escape with both Eseriel and Alohan in tow.

Eseriel is holding out two very ordinary looking bobby pins like she normally wears in her hair. "Break it in half while saying 'REFUGE'," she instructs while pushing them into Celene's hand. Then the magus pulls another pin from her hair and does just that herself - she instantly disappears.

Celene looks over her head and to pin point the phallus and then whispers a small prayer creating a duplicate of herself. She races towards the door seeking out Alohan.

Using copycat to create a mirror image of myself.

Alohan held his taiaha out threateningly, waving the weapon at the thugs whom threatened to overtake him. "Ya be stayin where ya be..." he growled, ducking as a globs of purple energy came firing out behind him. It was difficult to keep his back to the threshold when at any moment he could be covered in globs of acid. In fact, he was giving the egress a wide berth, glancing whenever he could to peer into the other room. As much as he wanted to run in after his companion, he knew she would be better equipped in there than he ever would be. Still, he hoped she was okay.

Finally, Celene emerged, bursting forth as bullets of acid spray around them. He raised his eyebrows in alarm as she held out wait looked like a hair pin. "what dis?!" he hollered over the sound of arcane energies bursting and blowing behind her.

Celene stumbled as she passed the pin to Alohan. The ground had been pockmarked by the acid spray. She kept her feet and held her own pin between two fingers flexing it to its breaking point "Break it while saying 'Refuge.'" she said. She waited to see if Alohan was able to escape. She had been the one to drag him into this death trap and she wasn't willing to leave until she was sure he was safe.

OOC: I'll give Ron a chance to respond before continuing.

Alohan nodded and took the pin from Celene, catching her as she stumbled. He pulled her aside, clearing the door in case more acid decided to pour through. He looked at Celene expectantly hoping to see exactly how she had done it herself but he noted her patience. Alohan wasted no time, snapping the pin and hollering out- <ROYALRED"REFUGE."</royalred> He did his best to keep his accent in check hoping the intent was enough to cross language barriers.

Alohan experiences a burst of light as he is whisked out of the combat and reappears somewhere else.

He is in a small sitting room with two comfortable pink armchairs and a tiny fireplace in one corner. Magnus Eseiel, second ranking cleric in the temple of Wee Jas, is in the process of putting a tea pot onto the fire. She looks up as Alohan appears, no hint of surprise on her face.

"I should have guessed it would be you that Celene had with her. You're the big native boy that always carries the sack in when it is time for me to resurrect your thief, hmm?"

She steps away from the stove and straightens her grey and black clerical robes a little. They have several holes burned through them and a big rip across one side. A second latter Celene appears, stumbling as she appears in the room in the middle of a jump. It looks like she spent her final few seconds in the House of Porphyry running for her life.

Eseriel sighs. "I am glad you made it out a live girl, but damn it, what were you doing in there?! If I hadn't been in there Nylaria would have lured you to your death, she is not..." Eseriel gasps, clutching at her chest.

"Oh my... oh my..." she whimpers. She sits down in one of the cushy armchairs with a thump, he hands gripping the arm rests. "Oh, I guess that was that then..."

Celene caught her breath for a moment as Eseriel spoke as she gathered herself her eyes narrowed and a scowl set on her face "What do you mean that is that..." she said acerbically "Why were you there in the first place?" she asked the question but didn't wait for an answer "Our friend..." she said motioning to Alohan "was torn in half by a savage creature created by the artifact that you tried to bring into this city! And you have he audacity to ask why I was there! I should call the authorities and have to drug through the streets to be tried. I want answers and I want them now!" Celene began to pace in the room "Not just about that damned woman and her massive pornographic statue, about why you interfered with my ordination, the Sisters you seemingly belong to and your need for that pearl, and why you and that wicked woman were discussing using me prior to battling one another." Purple smoke wafted away from Celene's hands as she gesticulated wildly. She settled herself next to Alohan facing Eseriel and waited.

"Ahhhh.... <sigh> So many questions deserving answers. Well, we have time enough to answer some of them at least. Nylaria and the rest know where we have gone, or at least they will be able to work it out. The temple guards will keep them out, but three of the serving girls are also worshippers of the Lady of Porphyry and could walk right in here... and I will not be any help in resisting them..."

"But in order to answer your questions I need to tell my story from the beginning, how far back shall I go? Where should I start...?"

"...with a cup of tea. Young man, be so good as to take that kettle off the stove and fill the teapot up with hot water will you? I'll take a herbal blend, one of the stronger ones is in order I think. From the small black box with the silver leaf... no, no, at the back... yes, that's the one. A couple of teaspoons, don't be shy..."

Eseriel looks up from her chair at Celene. Steam is literally coming out of the sorceress' ears.

"Right... no more delays. So I begin with a question, my young protégé. Do you believe in fate? That out paths are fixed? Do you believe that once we figure out the path we are on and don't like it we are able to change it? And most importantly do you believe in redemption? Understand that the answers to those questions affect YOU much more than me, my girl.<sips tea and grimaces at the taste>"

"My story begins in the Telvanta Academy of Dance about 50 years ago. I was a young ballet dancer and good, skilled and above all beautiful. Unfortunately the school was corrupted, little more than a hiding place for a sect to a succubus goddess called Shami-Amourae, the Lady of Delight. <shakes head> It's not important who she is, she has been wiped from the celestial pantheon, what is more important is that the sect was discovered and wiped out by a fallen paladin called Larcos Dengrin <pauses> Now he is known as Vorsh.<sips tea> At least, he eventually wiped us out. First of all the enchanted blade forced him to use our services, something which I don't think he has even forgiven himself for."

"After he gain his freedom from the swords he became a harsh and single-minded man. He put the entire sect to the sword... it was a massacre... only a few of the youngest children who were considered to have escaped the corruption were allowed to live. I was one of those children. Nylaria was another. I think he may have spared me because he felt guilt over what he had done when he was possessed, at least I was the eldest of those he allowed to live.<sips tea>"

"And because of his guilt he failed in a way... for he was not harsh enough. Both Nylaria and I had been tainted and were unable to change our desires or... appetites. Over time we both became successful in our own way, me in the temple of Wee Jas and her with her opera singing career. Then we formed another succubus sect, this one with the patroness of the Lady of Porphyry. Yes, Celene, I was only ever pretending to be a servant of the Grey Lady, my power came from another although I did well to disguise it. Well, I think you know how it is, my girl. <sips tea> "

"The opera house became the centre of the new cult - it had been involved with the first one, but only tangentially. A massive temple was dug out below it... ha! It is amazing what you can accomplish with summoned demon labour and decades of patient work. The power of the House of Porphyry grew as we managed to ensnare more and more of the nobility of the city with its passionate embrace. <drinks tea>"

"And then you arrived, young lady. I was visited by the Porphyry Lady in a dream and told where to find you... wandering in the streets, poor little orphan girl that you were. I changed your name to make you harder to find and then took you into the temple so the power of your lineage could be developed and exploited. <takes a gulp of tea and coughs> It seemed like that was going well at least, although you kept your passionate and chaotic side well and truly locked up. That is why I decided you were not ready to know the full truth yet. I mean... 'pornographic statue'? Come now girl! We are all adults here and that is the least of the perversions in the House of Porphyry!"

"We were also told to arrange for the shipment of the Black Pearl, although not for the reasons you think. The pirates of the Crimson Fleet have previously been a free-spirited bunch <chuckle> sure, they conducted the usual acts of evil that piracy entails: murder, theft and rape, but an altogether much more evil shadow has been passing over them. And now they are making these Black Pearls somehow. We used our contacts to get our hands on one, the idea was to investigate it - but our ship abandoned the mission when they saw a magical green explosion - cowards! Do you know more about this?"

"As for the falling out between me and Nylaria? Well, after the failure of the mission to get the Black Pearl and considering your continued stubbornness in displaying the required... *ahem* traits we are looking for, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She has decided to transform herself into a succubus, or at least some imitation of it. For that she needs to sacrifice a dozen virgins... I couldn't countenance that. Who would know! Even I have a limit! In the power struggle that ensued she gained control of the temple and then I helped you both escape and... <sips and coughs loudly>"

"...that resulted in the Lady of Porphyry stripping me of my powers. I am no longer a cleric of any denomination, Celene. I am just an old lady waiting for the end... <studies the dregs in the bottom of the teacup and then downs them in one swig. Grimaces.> The end will be coming soon enough now and there is nothing any of us can do to stop it. Nylaria will hunt you down once she is transformed and she will be more than a match for you."

OOC: Okay, is that enough exposition for you?!

Alohan sipped his black tea (no sugar or creme) and listened to the Lady's explanation. It was a wild one, a story with many points and peoples of interest. It was difficult -at least for Alohan- to follow along with most of it as he only a passing knowledge of the peoples in play. He met a Vorsch when they battled talking weapons but Alohan wasn't sure it was the same one. He knew of Celene. Knew of Wee Jas and knew of... well, that was about the extent of what he knew. Even at the mention of the Black Pearl, Alohan wasn't sure he understood. 'People were making multiple pearls?' It was an odd thought, especially if Halriss told them they had received the Pearl from the Icendi pirates. Could be she is sailing into a trap -a disconcerting thought.

"Let me get dis true..." he began breaking he silence. "Ya be gettin' together, havin' de fun, little drink, little herb, havin' de sex... normally I be dinkin' dis all be good but.. ya be summoning de demons and devils? Dat is a bit too kinky for even me self." He placed his empty tea cup on the table and leaned forward in his seat.

"But why ya be gettin' dis pearl? What be a sex club be wantin' wit dis... dese... artifacts? I can be understanding some grease, perfumes, and coco.. but dis pearl? Dat is not someding to be used in de sheets." Well, that wasn't entirely ture. Alohan could think of several uses for something like that but the Native hardly thought the Lady in front of him was using it for that purpose.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:58, Fri 28 Oct 2016.

"It is not about sex, young man, at least not once you go pass the surface. It is about seduction and influence. And at a level beneath that, corruption and defilement."

"Obviously the Black Pearl was not going to be used in one of our... rites. We were told to get one and study it, try to understand what it is capable of and what it was going to be used for. Which demon lord or minor deity made it? And why are so many being made and why is the Crimson Fleet involved? Of course that was all ruined when something exploded in Kraken’s Cove – what happened there?”

Alohan is not able to drink the tea. He takes a sip and screws up his face at the bitterness of it – it barely tastes like tea at all. His royal training means that he is able to discretely spit the drink back into the cup rather than spraying it all over the room.

Eseriel looks at a clock on the wall. "We have a couple of minutes left and then you'll have to leave me. Unless you want to stay here and fight three of Porphyry's best." She gasps at some unknown pain and slumps down more in her chair.

Alohan weighed the pros and cons about telling Eseriel what exactly the pearl was, unsure if it was the right thing to do. She was adamant that her end would be soon -at the hands of Nylaria- so it wouldn't hurt to fill her in on how horrible the artifacts were. He doubted they were anything more than a collection of highly sexualized dominatrixes uninterested in bringing the end to everyone in Sasserine. But her patron? The demon lords they bring forth to assist in the sodomy and defilement? Perhaps it was using them under the guise of good natured loving.

"Dat pearl be fallin' and splittin' open, releasing some green gas dat be reshaping a man's body and mind. Turnin' dem savage. Turnin' dem into murders. Dink about dat Lady, if dis pearl was brought to dis city, dink of all de people dat gas be gettin' into. I dink you were taken for fools- whoever be asking for you to be getting de pearl to... study... be wantin' you to unleash someding on dese people de likes dey never be seein'."

Alohan stood -glancing to Celene- her anger had obviously consumed her at the moment. "Who was it? Who be askin' ya to get de pearl?" he asked with as much authority he could muster. Of course, when he released all this talk of defilement and virgins has left its mark on him, his inner pele came out in a flash of crimson across his ebony face.

---

Intimidate: 11:54, Today: Alohan Nuari rolled 9 using 1d20+8 ((1)) VC: Intimidate
I am so sick of this dice roller.

Celene had more questions of her own but she waited to see if Eseriel would answer
Alohan's question.

I'll have more to say once she answers or doesn't.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:06, Fri 28 Oct 2016.

OOC: @Alohan & the dice roller :D :D That is why I moved to free form role play buddy, to give you a chance.

Eseriel doesn't seem indimidated by Alohan at all, but is very surprised about what the Black Pearls actually do. But then she seems to give up and if anything she is more relaxed in her chair than before.

"Hmm... <chin nods down to her chest a little> who asks for us to get one and study it? The Lady of Porphyry, Malcanthet, the Queen of the Succubi herself. She is my deity. Or at least she was. She stripped me of my powers an instant after we teleported back here."

Her voice grows softer and quieter. Her chin lands on her chest and stays there. "Not that I care, my heart has gone out of it. I hope you have more luck with her than I had 'Bend-wills-to-her', you have the gift if nothing else."

She continues very quietly. "She just said study it. Why would she want us to activate it? You can't seduce savage beast. It makes no sense that she would us to use it. Just study it..."
This message was last updated by the player at 17:49, Fri 28 Oct 2016.

Celene looked at her mentor questioningly. The woman seemed to be growing weaker. Had she poisoned her own tea? Is that why she told Alohan not to drink? If she had there was little time. It was hard to keep the fire of her rage stoked as she looked upon the pitiful woman. ”What did they want me for? Who is Bends-Wills-To-Her.” Celene asked with urgency.