Nightmare in the Elemental Age - Chapter 7
From Duels Content
Contents |
[edit] Activated By
[edit] Intro
You are standing in the midst of a nightmare vision of Phyrra. The Shadow Fiend broadcaster has been reduced to a steaming puddle of black ooze at your boots. Your weapon is drawn and you are looking at a man-sized bird. It is covered in ornate, brightly colored armor, festooned with bright feathers and intricate gold. It is carrying a feathered staff, while a pair of enormous green wings extends from its back and flutter slightly as it paces before you, head bobbing. The bird's capering movements are scored by the frantic beating of drums in the distance and you are once again overcome with the soothing primeval smell of tropical flowers and fresh rain. You ask the bird its name and it looks at you, head cocked to the side.
"I am Xolotl, Dream Walker of Orzax. I've been looking for you."
[edit] Act 1 - Orzax
The Orzayan approaches and claps a rough, clawed hand on your shoulder.
"Your abilities are impressive, friend. We have been seeking that broadcaster for weeks."
You ask the bird what is going on.
"Of course. I have been rude," in the midst of his sentence, the Orzayan emits a sudden, piercing "SQAWK!" then continues without pause, "allow me to explain." He waves one clawed hand and the Shadow city falls away. You are standing on a hill, overlooking a vast primeval jungle. Stepped pyramids rise from the horizon. You take a moment to breathe in the thick, sweet air as a pair of enormous elephantine creatures' long necks appear above the jungle foliage and hoot deeply into the twilight.
"Across the Telassa Sea, on the continent you call Orica, deep within the jungle sits Orzax, the city of Dreams." The scene before you changes again and you standing in a crowded stone street, surrounded by Orzayans. Their already colorful plumage is intensified by ornate jewelry, elaborate headdresses and golden armor. Before you, an enormous pyramid stretches toward the sky. Inside, the walls are covered with stone slabs, supporting sleeping Orzayans.
"The division between the sleeping and waking worlds has always been thin there and we Orzayans are able to move freely and consciously in the world of dreams."
You ask Xolotl if you are in the dream world now.
"This place exists, somehow within the realms, SQUAWK! of dream and reality at once. It seems to be using the Dream World as a sort of buffer zone. Pushing its way into your world through this one." As the Orzayan speaks, you notice the lights around you growing dim. You turn toward the entrance and are staring into the red eyes of a Shadow Beast.
[edit] Objectives
[edit] Act 2 - The Shadow Hall
You drive the Beast from the temple, as the city of Orzax melts around you and you are standing, once again on the dark streets of Shadow Phyrra. The bird man looks at you.
"These shadow creatures are powerful beyond anything we have seen in the dream world before."
You tell the Orzayan about the Shadow World, about the legends of past attempts to invade Malkanis and about the possessed orcs, murder and dark rituals performed. Xolotl cocks his head from side to side rapidly, then stares at you.
"This makes sense. These rituals may be required to successfully transport this world into yours. For some reason, they are using dreams as a buffer area. Each day this place grows more substantial. Whatever the shadow's plan, it seems to be working. We need, SQUAWK! more information. We should scour the city. There are probably additional broadcasters out there."
You tell Xolotl about the Hall of Gates; that in your world, it is a doorway to countless other worlds.
"That is a good place to start searching. It would be foolish to think they would not utilize whatever this world's foul mockery of these gates is."
You march toward the gate, your newfound feathered companion following close behind. The Shadow Hall is a building every bit as terrifying as the Hall of Gates is splendid. An obsidian dome, its arches are fashioned from enormous bones, still oozing dark blue fluid from their joints. As you have seen elsewhere, its rough volcanic bricks are mortared with slimy red ooze. The rough grain of the bricks seems to be moving, subtly forming the outlines of screaming faces. You take a deep breath and enter the cavernous darkness of the Shadow Hall.
[edit] Objectives
[edit] Act 3 - Meet Mau
As you bring your assailant down onto the ground, Xolotl sets the head of his staff ablaze and in the red light you see a horrid, crumpled form at your feet: what looks like a malformed Kahn, dressed in filthy rags, its feline features melted and twisted into a permanent, grotesque grin. It looks up at you and mewls in a gurgling, high pitched voice.
"Please don't eat me! Kill me first! I can't stand to see myself getting eaten! Please!" The creature stands and thrusts the handle of a black stone dagger into your hand. "Please slit my throat first! Just cut me ear to miserable ear, hang me up to drain first. I'll be much tastier dead and dressed."
You tell the creature that you have no intention of eating it. Though its smiling maniac expression does not change, you can see disbelief move its way along the creature's face.
"You monster! Sick freak! What is to be then? Torture? I know nothing! Am I to be a plaything? Some kind of sick game? I won't give you the pleasure. Give me back my knife, I will gut myself first!"
You tell the sniveling shadow that you will agree not to harm it or allow harm to come to it, if it will help you. It eyes you as suspiciously as it can from behind a big, crazy smile.
"Do what for you? Nothing unsavory?" Xolotl steps forward.
"We need you to help us find someone. A Shadow Fiend, one that is probably performing some sort of ritual, sending strange vibrations off into the universe."
"Oh yeah. I know that guy. He's in the back, in one of the old portal chambers. I'll take you to him. Don't worry. This isn't a trap either. And don't think it was suspicious that I just went out of my way to say that it wasn't. Because it wasn't. Neither was that... My name is Mau by the way."
[edit] Objectives
[edit] Conclusion
You grab the Shadow Broadcaster and ask Mau how you can make one of these things talk.
[edit] Reward
- 30 tokens
