[First Deep, Event] Night of the Dead Living

[Lyra]

Lyra frowned slightly as she reached out to touch one of the runes once more, sensing a slight hum of power that made her eyes widen. Quickly she pulled her hand back, but still was hit with a sense similar to vertigo as the world almost seemed to spin around her. Pulling in a breath she stilled her motions, closing her eyes to cut out the visual stimulus and thus hold against that feeling of being in two places at once. There was... something there, far away, but was gone before she could make sense of the feeling. As the sensations passed she shook her head, pressing the heel of her palm to one temple to press down on the sudden ache that had begun there.

She listened with half an ear to the conversation going on behind her, hand continuing to sketch the surroundings. She had almost completed the monolith itself, and was working on a simplified sketch of the keystones and their positioning. They encircled the monolith itself, but without going closer she would not be able to discern much. Her eyes drifted down to the runes on the boulder beside her, and Lyra began to feel... something. Her eyes scanned over the scene as a whole now, her hand stilling as the last keystone was drawn with simple lines. She took it all in, the monolith, the keystone, the runes on stones that surrounded it, like they were all once a part of some larger structure long ago. The feeling came again, nostalgic as she felt a memory start to shift but quickly was lost to the void. Her frowned deepened as her quill stilled completely, and she jumped slightly as Rabu past.

As Talon approached Lyra glanced over her shoulder, her gaze quick as she inspected his clothing and lingering for a moment on the blade he held so casually before turning to look back up at the Monolith. They were close, but still several yards from the structure itself. Lyra had chosen this spot so that she could observe the room at large. Adding a last line to the sketch Lyra handed the board and drawing of the room to Talon, wiping the tip of her quill off with a cloth from a pocket in her robes.

"Sense of the markings, certainly." She said simply. Reaching down she undid the clasp of her bag, the glyphs glowing faintly as she opened the satchel and carefully stowed her quill and ink bottle back inside, "As to whether I can discern the larger story that they tell, that has yet to be seen."

She rummaged in her bag for a few seconds, withdrawing a single vial with some sort of white substance. With a casual flick of her wrist Lyra tossed the Vial to Talon. It was cold to the touch, and the ichor inside was like a viscous paste that settled somewhere between solid and liquid.

"Apply that to your weapon." Nodding at the undead Lyra spoke softly, eyeing the wandering creatures with an odd sort of disinterest, "Be'schola, the little scholar, has said they contain shards inside of them. It is likely a unique form of soul binding, but even if it is not the ichor shall help should you encounter anything less corporeal while we are in this place." She said this as if it did not concern her, but would not be surprised if the next creatures they ran into were of the more ethereal variety.

From a sleeve Lyra pulled out the aura glasses Talon himself had given her, placing them on her face and staring through them at the true world of aether around them. With a finger Lyra traced the lines of aether that lead from the keystones to the monolith at the center, but as she squinted she thought she could see a more complex pattern being woven between the structures and the other scattered runes.

After a short time Lyra finally said, "I, in part, agree with what Be'schola has observed. Power flows from the keystones to the monolith, and these runes..." she pointed to the boulder they were standing next to. They did not form a pictograph, but were obviously related to the pictographs on the monolith, "I feel I have seen these before... They are not pictographs themselves, yet..." She chewed her lip, staring at the rune before gazing around the room, "It is like I am looking at a piece of a larger whole."

Looking sideways at Talon Lyra smiled once more, looking over the rim of the glasses at the taller man, "This will require a bit more investigation. I shall study the pictographs of the monolith and keystones themselves. In the mean time..." Her eyes drifted to Rabu's back before looking around at the others as they made their ways to the other locations with the undead, "I suggest following what Be'schola has requested. Let us collect one of each of the dragonshards, and from there the truth of things shall reveal itself."

With a final wave Lyra began to make her way toward the nearest keystone, "Be you safe, Be'melar. I would prefer you not have your wings plucked just yet."

[Hikami]

Ash 65th, 120th Year A.o.S
Company: Too many people| Theme: | Thoughts: You have got to be joking| Mood: Confused/Intrigued

---

㊋ The Kathar smiled, though he felt somewhat out of place after fully getting the rundown of the situation at hand. Though he was glad to be among comrades from the incursion of beasts when he came to the city, he was expecting to fight some monster from these famous warrens. The task ahead was ominous and daunting, and Hyoga couldn't help but call forth his spear, materializing Shimo no Tsume into his hands.

He didnt know what exactly to expect going into this place but he knew it would be dangerous, at least that's what the stories would say about this place. The party of those with him either branched off on the own or remained at the monolith to investigate it a little further. He was hoping there were monsters to fight otherwise he would be practically useless here. That was the main thought as he ventured further in the southern direction of everyone else.

Coming to where a small group of undead was, Hyoga was attracted to the blueish gems sparkling across their forms. His eyes fell upon the dead bodies sitting in a circle, some slumped over lacking support, while some were positioned as if monks meditating in peace. He went over to examine but was caught by his own apprehension.

It was unlike anything he would have experienced, seeing as at the beginning of the season, he was fighting nightmarish fiends from within these very caverns. Looking to the group of them, he could tell they didn't seem aggressive, but then again that could all change at a snap of a finger. Hyoga approached with caution, but curiosity and confusion.

"Dance with the dead she says, tch, this seems more ridiculous than I thought." he mumbled with a sigh, moving to look at the glyph that was in the center of the circle of undead.㊋

---

"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Galius]

Ash 65th, 120th Year A.o.S. His eyes that seemed to spark at the mention of undead and the arcane power that resided in this monolith. Untapped potential waiting for someone to come along and use it. Power waiting to be manipulated. It was all mouth watering. Galius returned Rabu's hug and gave hm a nod. "It's nice to see you again too, my friend."

But when the scholar mentioned that not all the undead were aggressive. Galius smirked. Undead were often mindless, at least the shambling corpses that seemed to walk the rocky halls that they stood in now. The idea that there were some that could speak. Some that wanted to cut deals or have performances. That sunk deep into the core of his mind. Curious if it was connected to the monolith or if there was something else at play.

If nothing else the shards held power and collecting a few extra wouldn't leave him in any worse shape. They were worth money as well.. If it came to that. His fingers tapped along the hilt of his sword. Eyes glancing towards the newcomer as he spoke to the winged men. Calling them lords seemed a bit much. But he didn't care enough to call attention to it. Another body would help to push them towards the answers he decided. And if nothing else they would make for good bait if there was a need for it.

Galius began walking to the trashing pool of undead. Looking upon the rotting corpses in the water. A sigh escaped his lips as he began to focus his energy. Allowing his senses to open up and peer around the aura's in the area. There was something twisted about watching the corpses in the water. His fingers gripping the handle of his blade. Slowly pulling it from it's resting place.

There was unlife in this pool. Something that tickled at the curiosity of Galius. His usually approach was more for surgical precision. Cuts where they needed to be. Working without destroying that he was working on. But here, mindless slashing might have been the more optimal approach. Though his mind wander back to what the scholar said. Mentioning that the undead could be talked to. He scratched at his chin with his free and before sighing again. "Very well than.." He grumbled to himself before looking back up at the struggling undead. "Do you speak?" he asked clearly.

[Chronicle]

The arrival of another bard to the fold was met with somewhat warm reception, Rabu mainly being the one who seemed most excited about his arrival. Madeline of course greeted him with a soft grin in turn, admittedly a little appreciative that he'd understood the gist of everything. "Another volunteer! Yes, we can definitely use someone like you here." Somebody who was always willing to learn was someone useful to Madeline, certainly during a hectic investigation such as the one they were on! In regards to the newest addition's uncertainty with the dragonshards, the scholar herself looked to answer but found another did so for her.

Talon expressed that he could help with identifying the grade of the Shards, something that caused the blonde scholar to perk up with delight in the moment. "Oh! Fantastic! That makes things so much easier! Usually I can tell based on their size and potency alone, but then again non-mages have a harder time with that aspect. Hm." She looked thoughtful to the group, and then to Talon specifically, before clapping her hands together just once briefly with a pleased smile. "That settles it! If anybody is unsure about a shard they come in possession of, simply bring it here and we'll have somebody appraise it!"

Then before anybody else had the inclination to start off, Rabu displayed much excitement on the aspect of dancing with the undead. From the look of the others present, the idea of even mingling with them was unsettling, and given the fact they were literal walking corpses... even the free-spirited Rathari might soon realize why that sentiment was shared. Still, Talon seemed innately concerned for Rabu, before regarding Lyra to see what insight she might've collected on the structure. To which Madeline perked, realizing that the other scholar had begun to discern the pictographs present. The others also appeared ready to begin their little excursion, with Hyoga heading south towards the Ancient Pillar, and Galius heading west over towards the Serene Spring. Madeline took interest in the conversation that went on between the prince and the scholar, a little proud in hearing that much of her research material confirmed what little they did know on the monolith.

To the north... Rabu went alone towards the Stone Grove out past the monolith, once there, there looked to be about twenty or so undead in general. Some were ghouls that looked to be recent in terms of decay, others looked so far gone that only their skeletal remains trudged the very ground, and then of course there were those that fell somewhere in between the two varieties. During his skip, he played his ocarina quite merrily, already garnering the interest of a few sluggish spectators, least the undead that could visibly see and hear him when he came their way. Overall though the lot gathered there were all distracted, a few of them sat down amongst the glowing runic stones found there, their demeanor forlorn as though they were heavily troubled by something. Half of their numbers simply walked around, almost in a complete circle, throughout the Stone Grove they teemed within.

One thing Rabu would've noticed if he had paid attention earlier, was the fact some of the stones emitted a faintly lighter glow. It was a spur of the moment reaction in truth, but the ones nearest his presence glimmered just faintly brighter than the rest, before he stopped to inquire from one of the Undead about his task. The corpse he'd approached was wretched, worms wriggled their way outside the jawline as a single eye seemed to open up towards the bard. "Eh?" When it sighed that remark of curiosity, it was like sandpaper grazed the very nook of his throat. The corpse Rabu approached coughed and hacked a few times, before raising up a hand to grasp the Rathari by his shoulder. "Wassat?! Sorry nunny, I can't hear well outta m' left ear!"

As the corpse turned his head to show, the entire half side of his skull from his cheekbone almost to his neck looked severely decayed, and within the compacted dirt and worms something glimmered. Another undead corpse brushed past Rabu mindlessly, softly groaning as he heavily leaned forward, trudging onward much like the rest that circled the grove. "Hilly! Hehae her helf ha hit!!! " Another undead called out with half an arm flailing in the air, as an corpse atop one of the larger rocks chastised his fellow brethen with only half a mouth. The poor bugger looked to only have one eye also, but his jawline was completely rotted away, making it nearly impossible for him to talk like a normal mortal.

"Hahie hawch herhelf!!" He continued as another Undead looked to be voluntarily ragdolling atop another one of the stones, her entire mouth agape almost like a snake as she sluggishly tried to eat at the rock. "Ha hawt hur hiher ha huet!!!" The longer the Rathari lingered, the more quickly things looked uncharacteristically odd with the rest. It was as though something was leeching away their drive, their will to interact with the rest of the world entirely.

Meanwhile towards the south... Hyoga approached some of the Undead near the Ancient Pillar, where they seemed less in frequency compared to the rest. What's more unlike the ones found near the Stone Grove, these Undead were a bit busy dealing with each other instead. A ghoul was viciously clawing at the zombies which slowly bit at it's arms and body, the creature hissing viciously as the three took a tumble to the ground, with the zombies growling lowly as they still sought to tear the creature apart. A lone skeleton stood near the group the Kathar noticed, his bony arms crossed as though he were waiting patiently for something to happen. There were several others too that seemed occupied, focusing on meditations mostly, and looking around for something which clearly wasn't there.

The group Hyoga took note of in particular were old monks indeed, their corpses more intact as though they had recently awoken from mummification. Glowing blue dragonshards jutted out from each of their backs, their aetheric power somehow being channeled into the unusual glyph centered between the three. It was a circle with ancient hieroglyphs that rotated clockwise on the ground, while within the center were two more ornate circles with the same text, the middle rotating the opposite direction and the center following the outer ring. "HALT!!" The undead skeleton ordered as he reached at his waist, unclasping the rusty sword from it's hanging belt as it stood between Hyoga and the group. "This is official imperial business only! You've no authority to intervene!!"

What transpired afterward depended on how Hyoga interacted with the protective skeleton. Meanwhile...

To the west within the Serene Spring, some of the Undead corpses were either attempting to swim... or simply seek shelter within the waterhole. Skeletons without eyes looked as though they watched where activity was present, only the upper halves of their skulls visibly lingering from the water itself. There was even undead that throttled one another, the pair closest to Galius obnoxiously splashing about as one corpse kept dunking the other aggressively. "YOU LIKE THAT YOU ROTTEN BASTARD?! NOT SO FUN WHEN YOU STEAL ANOTHER'S PRINCESS FROM HIS OWN BED IS IT?!" The domineering corpse that throttled the one beneath him screamed, with one of his eyeballs bobbing up and down in the air as water kept splashing about. In fact most of the undead within this area looked to be severely waterlogged, decayed and yet mostly intact thanks to the spring itself, save for the skeletons that refrained from ever budging within the water.

It was when Galius spoke to another one of the corpses, one of the quieter ones, that the undead in question perked a head and slowly rose; eels and other watery critters spewing from it's hollowed insides when it did. "Gaglglglglglg!" The corpse answered in turn, somewhat verifying that he in fact could speak... just not very well. It was as the Orkhan contemplated his next action things stirred, as though the very air seemed to innately feel colder than it already had before.

Meanwhile back at the Monolith itself Lyra had arrived at, her preparation prior to the event would come to play a pivotal role. In watching Talon being given the vial of ichor, Madeline's eyes went wide with piqued interest in turn. "Oooo good call! I don't think I've seen any wraiths nearby in a while." She rambled aloud mostly to Finn, as he'd still lingered whereas the rest seemed to carry on. The scholar seemed baffled in seeing the pair of glasses being pulled out, however, and Finn would've likely been able to notice the relief in her face in watching Lyra remain focused on the runes themselves. What she would see was certainly a network of channels that linked the monolith to the keystones, yet much of those channels simply died out before reaching the center.

What's more the keystones themselves held no energy within them, in fact, they were comparatively dead as the corpses that walked the area were before. While the energy within them certainly felt depleted, there were also traces of aetheric spikes noticeably radiating from them; as though they had in fact been used rather recently. The pictographs themselves, on the other hand, revealed more than just impressions, but minor hints of memory as though something was once stored in them. Yet as her observations with Talon continued, the very air surrounding the monolith shuddered to a still in that very moment. The air around them began to feel static, almost to the degree that one felt sparks when they'd touch an article of clothing. It was just as this phenomenon occurred that three distinct wails filled the air, and another piece of the puzzle came into play.

To the south where the monks where meditating, the undead skeleton did whatever was necessary to keep Hyoga at bay. Distinctively the glyph itself began to hum, and the mist that shrouded the region around the entire monolith thickened. The wails that were cried all sounded eerie, like scratching against the surface of a chalkboard with bare fingernails, and one of them sounded rather close to Hyoga's very position. "Shrouded hells they're back!!" Just as the skeleton knight said this fire suddenly manifested near the monks, only to be repelled by an invisible wall as a sudden sheen warded it off, and redirecting it onto one of the Undead nearby. Immediately his head caught alfame, and spurred by a sudden change in energy, the terrified ghoul flailed his arms about as he tried to fan the flames spewing from his head. As he did the wail near Hyoga was heard once again, and from the depths of the mist, a Wraith of Rage flew forward, chasing after the burning corpse with furious swipes made for his head.

"FOR THE EMPIRE!!" The skeleton declared as he ran after the wraith, the trio now caught in a big circle as they ran around the monks, who continued to maintain demeanor with ungodly focus. Meanwhile near the Serene Spring...

Galius would find that the air grew colder, rapidly now, upon hearing the three wails within the region. One of the three being distinctly over the spring itself, it was clear that the cry terrified a few of the skeletons in turn; as a few of their caps went bobbing beneath the water. Suddenly the water itself started to harden, the surface of it quickly freezing as Galius could see his breathe, within a full minute of witnessing it; the entire spring had become frozen with the Undead sealed in place, with the pair of throttling undead now fixed in a bind of their own. "Gods, AGAIN!!" The corpse tried to ply his arms free, only to find that one snapped off entirely. "FUCK!"

Within the swirling mist above the spring, the Wraith of Horror slowly descended, hovering over the center of the waterhole; with a finger slowly pointed at Galius.

While at the Stone Grove... The corpse that gnawed on the rock watched Rabu intently, her jaw still snapping as what remained of her teeth simply chipped and cracked away. Then with the three wails came the one closest to Rabu, as the mist grew impeccably thicker here than anywhere else. The glow within the stones began to diminish also, as though something very dark and sinister was beginning to loom overhead.


"Speech"

► Show Spoiler

And now it begins! Currently there two wraiths looming within the area, but it looks as though a third is waiting to enter. These are the prompts everyone now has to work with here:

Stone Grove
The Hungry Ghoul
A lonely ghoul that once looked to be a woman before death is, awkwardly, trying to either chew or swallow one of the larger grove stones. The very air surrounding her feels off, however, and she's eyeing Rabu almost with yearnful eyes.

The Murmuring Corpse
Atop one of the boulders is an undead who seems to have the hardest of times speaking. Literally. With no jaw or tongue to annunciate properly, understanding this corpse is already quite the challenge; yet it's evident he's far more animated than his fellow brethren here.

Hard At Hearing Corpse
It would seem that the corpse that Rabu approached can barely hear anything anymore, and from the looks of it, the writhing nest of worms in his cranium isn't helping the situation...

The Devoided Corpses
Several undead are sitting, almost submissively, against the stones as though they're afraid or concerned with something.

The Mummers March
The undead seen marching around are doing so, sluggishly, in a bit of a pattern that encircles the Stone Grove. Maybe there's a reason for this?

Serene Spring
The Gurgling Ghoul
Clearly the ghoul is receptive to Galius but he can hardly utter any real words. Maybe there are other ways he can speak?

The Wraith of Horror
A wraith has managed to manifest and freeze the rest of the Serene pond, making it impossible to interact with all but one other undead that are now trapped within the ice.

The Petty Ghoul
Clearly this ghoul has been enraged by something, from the sound of it history that it's no longer tied to. Yet how can Galius help this angry ghoul, when all but his upper body isn't in ice?

Ancient Pillar
The Skeletal Knight
An ancient knight of a forgotten era seems hellbent on keeping a group of mummified monks safe, only to be deterred by the presence of something else entirely.

The Wraith of Rage
As if out of nowhere the wraith has manifested and given chase after a fleeing undead, while that very corpse's head burns like a brilliant beacon. How does Hyoga react to this development?

The Voracious Eaters
A couple of Undead have taken to eating one of their own, almost mindlessly, as the ghoul in question continues to poorly struggle against them.

The Monolith
The Three Wraiths
Wraiths are now showing up within areas surrounding the monolith, yet what is their connection towards the Undead?

The Four Keystones
All four keystones show no sign of aetheric activity, which means they require Dragonshards to be charged.

Madeline
???

[Finn]

It was certainly gratifying to realize that he knew more than one person present. He didn't know how much help Rainbow After Storm would be if things grew violent, but he was the sort of person who put other people at ease, much as when a cat decided that one's lap was their place, claimed it, and began to aggressively purr for dominance. But the Shinsei was present and if he didn't inspire confidence, Finn didn't know who would. Even Lyra from the scrivener's shop exuded competence. If she knew as much as it sounded like she did, coupling that with the strange, untouchable shelves from the shop, then there was an even chance she might also be competent with magics that could prevent harm. He only hoped he had ingratiated himself enough that she would leverage whatever power she had into protecting him as well as herself.

Finn might have followed his fellow musician after the hug, but people started saying things that sounded important and then things started happening and before he knew it, he seemed to be in the middle of some action. The storyteller in him couldn't tear himself away, and suddenly, even though an Avialae and an Ork had peeled off from the group as well, it seemed his own sword and skills might work better where he was.

Nodding along to what Madeline was saying, he edged a bit closer to the Lord Novalys, hoping there might be a bit extra of Lyra's magical potion to apply to his own blade so he wouldn't be a child whacking uselessly at a piñata should the need arise. It might also make him feel more inclined and more empowered to either aid Rabu or go off a little ways from the group to see if he couldn't find a dragonshard and a bit of his own story.

He tensed as ghastly noises came from Rabu's direction and screaming from other directions, but it was the strange crackle in the air about them that sent the hairs on the back of his neck up, hoping he wasn't suddenly under the influence of some eldritch horror.

"What's that?" he hissed. Then, hopefully before anyone noticed, in a more confident voice, "What's that in the air?"

While he was much less a warrior than Talon Novalys, he would guard his back with his sword. While he was much less the scholar and magus than Lyra, or so he presumed, he determined that he would try to hear the symphony of any undead creature that drew near, hoping that his small skill might be of some use. In any case, his red-robed instructor had never told him it was a taboo or a danger. It was the only thing he thought he could bring to this table of important people.

► Show Spoiler

Just to keep things moving...

If there's leftover potion and it's offered to him, he'll apply it to the edge of his longsword. If not, no big deal.

If a wraith or other approaches them, he'll try to work his Mesmer on it passively.

I'll write it out in my next turn, obvs, but just to give y'all an idea of what he'll probably do. Group threads get complicated.

[Talon]

Talon reacted more than truly reached for the vial that Lyra tossed in his direction. He caught it nimbly. He had seen his mother work her necromancy often enough to know that he was holding a vial of ichor. He quirked his brow as it was given to him. The tell-tale chill of the deathly substance always unnerved Talon and while he understood that necromancy had its uses, it was still a school of magic that made him slightly uneasy. As Lyra made her point, Talon could see the wisdom in her suggestion. He was not one to argue with common sense. Unstopping the vial, Talon then drew his blade. He was about to pour the ichor upon his sword when he noticed Finn inching his way toward both him and Lyra. He looked at the vial of ichor in his hand and then to the sword that the minstrel was carrying. Sighing to himself he poured only a single drop onto the flat of his blade before nudging Finn in the shoulder with the hand holding the ichor. He extended it to the minstrel.

“Apply this to your sword. You may need it more than I do.” With that done, Talon instead opened himself up to the flow of his aether. He was recovered from the events earlier in the season, though it had been a slow road to recovery. In spite of that recovery, he still internally flinched as though he were waiting for the sluggish pull on his vitality, the slight pang of pain in his skull as he fought to concentrate on the power that flowed through him. It did not come, of course, but that did not stop him from bracing himself out of what had become a habit at that point. He would slowly have to break himself of that expectation. Tapping into the power of his Negation, Talon placed an anchor upon the guard of his sword. He touched the tips of his fingers to the drop of ichor that he’d place on the blade and scooped it up. He touched it to the anchor watching as the essence of the ichor was pulled into the anchor. That completed he drew upon his aether and constructed the lines that would form the framework of the ward he was extending upon the surface of the blade itself.

As he worked, Talon spread the threads of the ichor that had been woven into the anchor across the expanse of the ward’s framework. In but a few minutes, Talon had built a web around his blade that he then filled in to form a complete ward covering the edges of the sword itself. Into that ward was woven the ichor that Lyra had provided. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He gave his sword an experimental swing. The shielding upon it would act only upon impact with a creature the ichor was designed to interact with. It would blunt his blade but it was better than nothing. The idea had come to him spur of the moment and he would make due. He had gifts that could further protect him from the presence of the creatures of the Warrens. He was not certain others held such gifts.

“The ward will last for perhaps a handful of impacts but, I will make them count.” He gave a nod. It seemed he completed his task just in time as a shrill scream drew his attention. Talon immediately went into a fighting stance. His sword was held at the ready and he instantly began scanning the surrounding area. He spotted the arrival of an all too familiar Wraith of Rage. The icy chill that swept across the area alerted him to the presence of the Wraith of Horror. As darkness began to descend upon the area, Talon cursed under his breath.

“Shiru! Damn!” Raising his voice, Talon shouted. “Ready yourselves!”

Talon was forced to make a decision in that moment. He had to determine which of the wraiths, for of all the creatures there those posed the greatest threat, to deal with first. It did not take him long to decide. His grey eyes zeroed in on the Wraith of Rage. If left to spread its influence, the already unsettling undead would become frenzied with wrath and fury. The group would devolve into a mad pursuit of anything that they perceived to be of the smallest slight. He glanced around at the various undead flailing about. That influence would spread to them. Fear could paralyze but rage? The last thing they needed was to find themselves in an all out brawl with everything to their right, their left, up and down. No, the Wraith of Rage had to go first.

Talon steeled himself, reaching for the inner peace born of his hardened instincts. The Warrens and their threats were not new to him. They were not new to anyone who lived in Kalzasi. He touched upon the bond he shared with his companion. With little more than a transmittal of his thoughts, he manifested his singular intent to Aoren.

Keep me grounded. Shield me against rage.

He felt his companion’s alarm but that was quickly replaced by a soothing calm that flowed between them. Gripping his sword, Talon took off in a sprint. He spread his wings and reached for the power of his kinetics. Opening his eyes to the aether flux, instead of pushing himself forward he joined the flow of his aether to the aether in the air not far from wraith of rage as it darted toward the burning ghoul. The effect was immediate and saw Talon flung into the air, he used his wings to balance himself as he glided through the air, pulled magnetically to the spot that he was Seeming to. He brought up his blade and as he neared the spot in the air, he released his hold on the Seeming allowing his momentum to carry himself forward. He gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands and spun bringing the blade around in a wide arc so that he could slash horizontally across the space considered the wraith’s torso, intent on severing it in half.

[Lyra]

As Lyra drew close to the keystone she slowed, a hand coming up to adjusted the lenses before her eyes. Now that she was closer Lyra could see that her original thought was correct. Her eyes traced the lines of aether that linked the keystones to the monolith, noting the odd spikes with a frown. Gold eyes skimmed down to study the pictographs, noting that odd sense of familiarity once more. She crouched down, studying the pictographs, and just as she was starting to decipher their meaning the wailing began.

Raising her head Lyra glanced about, but as she felt a tingling along her skin, like static in the air. Frowning Lyra slowly stood, turning in a circle as she did. Shouts from the undead, sudden movements, and a sudden radiating cold filled the area. At Talon's shout Lyra looked over to him, her brow creasing in confusion until she spotted the Wraith to the south, flaming and chasing the undead. Eyes widening slightly Lyra was not sure what to think. These were the first ethereal creatures she had seen since she was released, after all, and they were... Odd. To her left the chill expanded, and when she glanced to the side Lyra saw that another of the creatures had appeared. The water over which it glided was steadily beginning to freeze, trapping those undead still within the depths.

Slowly Lyra removed her glasses, closing them carefully before opening her bag and stowing the inside. She blew out softly, a string of black smoke swirling down her arm down to her fingers. A faint hiss came from within her bag, and as she brought her hand out Artur was curled around her wrist. Lyra smiled at the black scaled snake, petting his head as she made him coil up her shoulder, wrapping her shoulders and raising his head high as if to look around. His tongue flicked out, tasting the air as Lyra considered the situation.

She saw as Talon took flight, his eyes fixed on the burning Wraith. Through her rune she could hear, even from this distance, the sound of his determination as he charged. It made Lyra smile slightly. There was nothing for her to do there, it seemed, so instead she turned to the left, eyeing the wraith that skimmed the surface of the spring. This one was different. Perhaps it was because she was closer, this particular keystone being near the spring itself, but even from this distance she felt as if the cold were sinking into her bones. There was something else as well, an underlying sense of dread and... With surprise Lyra realized what that sharp feeling in her chest was. Fear.

"What is this..." the words were visible as she breathed, surprise filling her. She had not felt fear since... Well in truth, she could not remember. Why was she afraid? What could have... Then it clicked.

Gold eyes narrowed as they looked at the wraith. With effort Lyra forced the fear down, clamping down on the emotion with a will of iron. SHE was the one who manipulated the emotions of others. These lesser creatures could not, would not influence her so. With that she came to a decision. Rummaging in her pack Lyra pulled out another vial of ichor. There were several more, as well as one of her infused ichor which held several gems she had been preparing for another project. Her eyes skimmed the people around her, falling on a familiar face.

"Ah, Be'lafel." Lyra waved a hand at Finn, motioning him closer. "I am surprised to see you here, though this is fortuitous."

If he came she would nod in the direction of the Wraith of Horror which was now approaching Galius, "Come with me. Let us see to this distraction."

Without looking back Lyra started forward toward Galius. The wraith, thankfully, seemed in no hurry as it approached, hand outstretched to the ork. The closer they came Lyra could feel the affects of the fear beginning to grow, but once more Lyra stuffed it down with a furious expression. She focused on the annoyance, the indignation of being forced to feel something so... lowly. She pressed her own anger higher, letting the fire of it push back against the cold.

As she walked Lyra opened herself up to the melodies of the world, the power humming in her veins as she listened to the symphonies of those around her. She felt similar sensations of fear in Galius and Finn if he approached with her. The affect was similar to that of a mesmer's tuning, but more... unrefined. It was like taking a sword to trim one's beard. Too much, overwhelming. With a disdainful sniff Lyra strummed the harp of the two nearest her. She pressed down on the fear, dampening it, suppressing it even as she tuned and ignited their determination, their confidence.

"Pretender." Lyra whispered, looking disdainfully at the wraith as she neared Galius. The snake on her shoulder lifted its head higher, opening its mouth as energy crackled along it's scales, Flicker's of flame as Lyra touched the runes inside the doll, gathering power from the dragonshards within it. Artur struck forward, a stream of fire cutting a path between Galius and the wraith, causing the latter to pull back slightly.

"You, ork." Lyra said to Galius. Stepping on the back of one of the trapped undead, she extended a vial of white ichor to the man, motioning to the blade in his hand, "Apply this to your blade if you wish to reach that spirit."

The Horror wasn't truly deturbed. Already it was beginning it's approach once more. Lyra watched this with distaste. To Galius, and Finn if he was present, she said, "Have either of you dealt with this sort before?"

Lyra continued to play a constant concerto, keeping the effects on the two around her, suppressing their fear and doubt while heightening confidence and determination. She could do little else while she staved off the affects of the Wraith, so she was quite ready to be done with the entire farce.

[Hikami]

Ash 65th, 120th Year A.o.S
Company: Too many people| Theme: | Thoughts: You have got to be joking| Mood: Confused/Intrigued

---

㊋ It was just as he suspected, yet he wasn't truly expecting a reaction like the one he had gotten. He imagined they would rise in an undead like fashion stumbling toward him, yet these undead were truly different from the others, sentient even.

It was made even clear these were not your average undead when a skeleton scolded him, which caused the Kathar to laugh a bit. Was this thing trying to intimidate him, and if so did it have any idea who it was up against? "I didn't mean any disrespect." he assured, putting on the best smile he could.

Just what did it mean by imperial business? Just what were these undead monks doing? What empire were they from? It seemed that the shards these monks held and the mystery of the glyph they surrounded was being guarded by this ancient warrior and his rusty blade.

Part of him wanted to simply dispatch the skeleton warrior with a simple swipe of his spear, but he feared the wrath of the other undead nearby. Unfortunately, he decided to back off for a moment. He had to come up with another way to gain access to the circle of the monks.

As He pondered the Skeleton seemed to become agitated, noting that "they" had returned. Then a wave of flames came to engulf the monks, causing Hyoga to take to the air. He watched as the flames hit an invisible wall only to ignite onto a nearby undead. The flailing thing seemed to attract a spirit, one that began to viciously chase after the flaming thing.

He had to choose whether to go after the spirit or enter the circle of monks. Without too much thinking he called for his spear, materializing it into his hands, calling for flame on the blade, he flew after the spectral menace.

His heart pounded with excitement as his warrior nature came to the forefront, his instincts taking over as he came barreling toward the spirit. With a mighty swing across the back of the specter, Hyoga took the attention that was on the flaming undead onto himself.

His eyes looked the creature over, and a smirk came onto his face. "Come fight someone who can defend themselves ugly!" he roared, brandishing the flamed spearhead to gain its attention. ㊋

---

"Common Speech"
"Synskrit Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Galius]

Ash 65th, 120th Year A.o.S. The ice was a curious sight. As the water froze over the thrashing undead. Galius watched as many of them were frozen under the water. A morbid fate if they were indeed alive. Watching as the two that were strangling each other were now trapped. "Forever frozen in the thralls of hatred and anger. How peculiar." The sight of his own breath interested Galius more. The sudden freezing temperatures that gripped around the cave. A place that had been warm just a few mere moments ago. The snapping of one of the undeads arms brought Galius back into focus as his eyes moved up to the wraith.

Most would run in this situation. With a spectral personification of fear floating in front of them. But Galius didn't move. Even as the fear started to build inside of him. He stared a the wraith with curiosity. With his blade already in his hands. He rose it in front of his chest. Extending it out to be ready if the ghoul made it's approach. The singing of the rings filling the space around him. It was like a melody to Galius' ears. A comforting sound from all of his training. While he was no master, he was comfortable enough with the sword to wield it.

"You, ork."

Turning his head to see the mysterious woman walking towards him. Extending a vial filled with a white substance and giving instructions. He took the vial and rose an eyebrow at Lyra before spreading it. "Your observation was about my race is correct. But I would prefer you call me by my name." He said as he ran the ichor up his blade. Making sure to coat the edge of it. "And no I can not say I have. My experience with the undead is limited to the ones in the ice."

A calming sense came over him as the feeling of fear faded. He could only assume it was one of the two that had come over. And while he was sure the bard had some sort of presence to him. He wasn't confident that it was him causing this effect. Though he had little experience in the way of mesmers. It only grew his curiosity of the woman. She seemed to be tied up in all things arcane.

She would be an interesting ally assuming they made it past whatever mystery awaited them in here. This was only the beginning he was sure. But it was getting interesting. And he had plenty of questions. Questions about this place. Questions about the people here. There were always questions.

[Rabu]

The enthusiasm Rabu felt before began to fade when he approached a large crowed of decaying undead and realized he was all alone. The scent of decay was strong enough that they could taste it and it made their stomach turn in revulsion. Rabu’s eyes widened in shock when the Ghoul that the Rathari started talking to, turned to reveal a large chunk of their face missing. Rabu took a moment to collect himself, they took a deep breath and held their arm so it would stop shaking before continuing. Rabu was about to open their mouth to speak when another Undead brushed aimlessly against them, causing the cat to involuntary yelp in fear.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” Rabu asked again, this time louder and with less words. Though they could see that the worms burrowing into his head were likely not making hearing any easier. Rabu gulped and reached out a hand cautiously to pluck one of the worms out.

“Does that help?” Rabu asked, if this seemed to please the corpse the Rathari would go for another.

There as also the one jawless ghoul, who Rabu couldn’t understand at all despite their many attempts at communication. The Rathari tried to use gestures to communicate with the muted undead, The feline pointed to their elven ears and shook their head at the corpse.

“Use your body, if you cannot speak!” Rabu called up to the Mute corpse.

The feline’s eyes of the bard couldn’t help glancing at the female cadaver who was lazily gnawing on a rock while starring directly back at them. It was an unnerving sight for certain, and put Rabu on edge, ready to run at a moments notice if that particular undead were to come much closer. Many of the undead seemed concerned about something, but Rabu couldn’t put their finger on it. Then came the haunting wail from above that gave them chills to their very core.