Ultimum Temporum IC

[BelGareth]

Ultimum Temporum
Chapter 1: Meetings by Force

It started with a whisper, a small ripple in the fabric of space time.

The whisper slowly grew and grew.

A small surge, nothing that would be noticed even to those who were watching.

Nothing was obvious here.

Nothing.

The whisper grew, and with it, the tear, the fabric rending and torquing until everything around it snapped, popping, sending the first loud reverberations across the multiverse.

Rattle.

Crack.

Tear.

POP


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9tFrnUVLhT4/VFkrPCqBhmI/AAAAAAAAFeM/m2TdmfZyLdY/s800/Untitled.jpg

There was no sucking noise, no pull of intent or suction, no gravitas or inevitable doom.

Just pure nothingness, annihilation in it's purest and most raw form, the death of Purpose and Will, conjoined with the failing of the balance within reality, the fatal discordance within the idealogy that is the scales of the Multiverse, the ever infusing logic that all things are related and interconnected.



The whisper had been tugging at your mind for several days now, at first it was an annoying mental itch, ignored by the dullards of every realm, and soothed over by the intellectuals as an outlier in their data feed, or to be more precise, an annoyance, background static that comes with the existence in this time and space.

You had ignored it as you would anything you deemed inconsequential, an annoying fleeting thought, a fly, a peasant, anything that failed to arouse your awareness from your task at hand, whether that be unraveling the secrets of life, sleeping, or the secrets of Mountains.

But now it had grown, like a small river it eroded your patience until a torrent of pain, annoyance and unrest tore at your subconscious overflowing into your conscious thought.

It grew and grew until you could no longer concentrate, until, like a dam exploding, you could no longer do what you cared to, you could no longer look the other way, and you had to look at it, like a petulant child throwing a tantrum, it smiled as you did so.

<<Finally, you pay attention to me.>> You hear in your mind, to your surprise.

Before you could reply, it continues <<It is time. I have need of you, meet my other heralds HERE>> as it says it, an indelible thought is inscribed upon your memory so acutely, so intensely, that the place is known to you instantly, you feel the urge to go, to do what is instructed, not by impulsion, but by your own Will, but for the Necessity.



It hadn't been hard, not for one of your mastery, your power. You arrived at the ancient and abandoned Bloom city, the old Flayer compound long ago abandoned sparkled with light and activity.

Last you checked, this place was a desolate city, haunted by the Ascended Elder brain gone mad by its eternal knowledge of all things, its failure to godhood, the resultant death of the city.


http://www.destructoid.com//ul/247690-/tormentkickstarter1-noscale.jpg

But yet you stand within its bosom, lightning and power cackling around you as workers, peons, mortals trapse about, as if you do not exist, how this is possible, you do not know.

But you do know, this is where you should be.

Others are here as well, other powerful beings, long forgotten beings, Ideas and Concepts you thought perhaps had fallen asleep long ago stare you in face, full of hate and discontent at possibly being called to this spot as you.

Perhaps these are the other Heralds?

<<Speak>> The presence in your mind whispered.

Ok, introductory post, and then I'll pose the adventure hook.
Yes, I railroaded you, yes, you deal with it.

[greenpotato]

A creature consisting of a long human torso that sprouts six clawed arms but no legs, and where a mans head would be the beast has a long tail like appendage ending in a black spike like the claw of a colossal finger. You would assume this aberration to be little more than a horrific beast were it not for the fact that it wears robes of red and gold draped haphazardly over its alien form. And then it speaks, though it has no mouth:
"A great mind that knows all, I had head of you power, yet it was know of your fall, here in this city of a flower, no simply task to call this one, but I did not cower, so why have I come?"

[silphael]

During some seconds, each of you felt like underwater, but the feeling quickly disappeared. At the origin of the feeling, an apparently soaked man, leaking droplets of water as he walks. Wearing ample clothes and exhibiting ten different weapons. He quickly gave a look around then opened his mouth.

"Odd place, any idea where we are?"

[Raunchel]

A young elf approaches. She is dressed in simple greens, and holds a simple wooden bow in her hands. She radiates purity and goodness, a and her eyes are made of light. Obviously she has ascended from simple mortality. Her face is serene as she walks, and shows a comforting smile. But she does not come alone. Behind her another elf walks, dressed in a simple white robe and completely unarmed. The green-dressed one speaks in a heavenly voice: "Greetings, are you the others who have been called? Was the call from the light or from infernal darkness?"

[Tempestfury]

Out of all the beings that had gathered, of all shapes, sizes and existences. There was one that stood out from the rest. Not because he was extraordinary. He did not radiate power in any form, he didn’t make others feel like they were drowning, nor did he carry an aura of purity, or be a twisted abomination that made no sense to the world. No, he looked to be a simple human. Clad in a dusty brown cloak, with a single sword buckled to his side. The only outstanding thing about him, was the rather exquisite wearing armour that he was wearing, that covered his full body. Yet he moved as if he was wearing nothing.

He was currently looking around the area, looking around Bloom City. He did not speak when beckoned, but instead looked at the old city, brought back to life with an intense curiosity. His head moving this way and that, as if he was trying to see all that there was to see about the revived city, and for the moment ignored the others, these ‘Heralds’ that had been summoned.

[drack]

Ruja of the Long Forgotten stood upon one of the wider star bridges, bridges the flairs had made to study the endless knowledge held in star divination, one of the few connections this world had to others. A colossal dragon skeleton as ancient as any other with and patches of flesh stubbornly clinging on after all these years and sunken eye sockets who's very form emanated waves of dark energies. Dressed in a flowing silver robe that glittered with all the passion of the starry sky above, Ruja is surrounded by an unholy legion. Thousands of skeletons mobbed about him along with seventy two dread wraiths, two hundred and three ghosts, four atropals, six hunefers, five hundred specters, three devourers, seventeen nightwalkers, ninety flameskulls, and forty nine gargantuan globes of dark energy from each of which a wisp of tentacles, semi-transparent smoke, and countless eyes seem to writhe in place affixing all with their unfocused gaze. Ruja, standing at the center of all this turns his head slowly, taking in all before him. Disappointed with what he sees, Ruja sends a dread wraith to see if the brain at the center of it all is still alive, and waits for some "holy" herald of this voice to do something stupid. It wasn't that he particularly wanted them to, but somehow it seemed such ludicrousness was in their blood or otherwise engrained in the being. Sometimes even undeath failed to cure them.

[Mousedigits]

A large man suddenly appeared from the behind, in a flash of light. All he wears is is a simple tunic, with a cloak flowing behind, but there is something... complex about him. He has no weapon. His hands appear to be scarred and rough. He has a certain air of both Arcane and Divine about him. He says nothing, but looks over the others, evaluating them.

[greenpotato]

"Fellow heralds called, my sincerest greeting, by lack of manners I am appalled, by summoner of the meeting " the strange creatures long neck bobbing and curling like a great clawed finger beckoning to the others "I am Shishil, Sage of Stars"

[silphael]

"I am Shidor Waveling, and I will ask you to free the souls you have enraptured here, Thing."

Although his first words were directed toward the polite creature, the other are for the undead thing.

[drack]

Ruja of the Long Forgotten laughs, a booming thunderous laugh.

"Then you claim responsibility for all those that die to rise in their stead?
Fool castaway, do not command that which you do not know."

[Tempestfury]

"Come on everyone, don't start." The cloaked figure said with a small sigh, turning from his curious examinations in order to address the others. "Lets not get into ideological arguments please. They can last centuries and at our power level if a fight broke out, we'll defintly destroy the nice city, and I don't think the host would be too pleased."

[drack]

Casually Ruja comments.

"Cities rise and fall, this one has fallen and may fall again, it is beneath my concern."

[BelGareth]

<<STOP>>

<<THIS IS NOT NEEDED, we must move quickly, Time is of the essence, and so is the Course>>

<<It has been set, Go, see for yourself>>

Before you all, a portal opens up to the astral, in the far distance you can see a curtain of reality, like fabric rolling up into a wave of static star filled entropy.

<<GO!>>

[drack]

Ruja, curious of this phenomena, watches the raveling reality, and as he does some thousand skeletons charge headlong through the portal. Ruja, meanwhile, calmly observes, unmoving.

[greenpotato]

"Ask to come and ask to go, this is a thing do I know." Shishil says with a bob of it's neck in the direction of the stuff it steps through and moves towards the swirl of entropy.

[Tempestfury]

"Well, at least we have something now." Arcantos said, as he examined the picture before them. In front of him was obviously a portal to the Astral Plane, but in front of them was some type of wave before them... and he didn't quite understand what it was. So, he turned his attention inwards. 'Hey guys can anyone say what that wave thing is?'

'It is Entropy in its purest forms' answered a voice that Arcantos rarely heard. Powerful, deep and resonant, that demanded his full attention and silenced utterly the whisperings and conversation of the many souls attached to his own... Io spoke. 'Chaos, or to be specific, the natural tendency for the multiverse to go to disorder. Normally at balance with order and creation, to see a pure wave of it ripping across the astral plane like this, is worrying. Especially as the astral plane is connected and overlayed with all over planes'

"A wave of pure chaos, ripping across the astral plane? Yeah, that needs to be stopped." Arcantos said outloud, before stepping forwards into the portal himself after hearing this news from Io.

[Mousedigits]

"Entropy, eh? Can't say I've dealth with it, in all my years. However, with all my love for Chaos, we can't have too much, can we?"

Shaxius steps through.

[BelGareth]

-Assuming everyone steps through-

As you all enter, the portals wink out of existence with an audible *pop*

And just moments later, 4 of the largest dragons you have seen shimmer into existence not to far away, they are huge magnificent creatures, silvery shimmering scales cover their bodies, wings seemingly made of gossamer silk, there is a strange aura about them, a true nobility that is rare in all but the most majestic creatures.


http://www.dandwiki.com/w/images/thumb/6/6e/1064bfabf9926e66d301eda3ebdf4169.jpg/250px-1064bfabf9926e66d301eda3ebdf4169.jpg

All of them look towards you all and in a booming voice, reveal their displeasure with you.

[YOU WILL NOT GO ANY FURTHER, TURN AWAY NOW, AND LEAVE THIS PLACE]

And with that, you are buffeted by piercingly cold glacial winds, ice and intense cold as snow starts to form around you


Please roll initiative

Place yourselves anywhere in A37-D37 here (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nQLMYKwALir0cR5TrkcTNZr0qShG3ADrihG0Yf4eCuo/edit?usp=sharing)

Everyone make 4 Fort saves vs DC 173 or be turned to Ice [transmutation][Cold]
Else take 498 cold damage, half if immune to cold. (for a total of 1992, and 996 if immune to cold)

If you use an item in the area, you must succeed on a DC 10 DEX check to keep holding it.
Anyone attempting to move through this icy area must make a DC 10 Balance check or fall prone (if flying, your speed is reduced to 0 for 1 round). A creature that runs or charges through the area must make a DC 20 Balance check to avoid falling down.

Current temperature band: unearthly cold


4 Energy Piercing, flash frost, Admixtured, Intensified cold Energy frosfell's, unassumingly from each dragon.

[greenpotato]

Space bends around Shishil and it's form ripples and pulses, hundreds of eyes sprouting forth from it's leathery hide like bubbles boiling to the surface in a witches broth. Waves of transperant energy flow and bend with Shishil at the centre, slightly warping enevything within a hundred or so feet of the strage champion. (DC 95 will save or beckome shaken to all those who can see the eyes boil to the surface, it's scary!)

Immediate: Manifest anticipatory strike to act before the frostfells
Standard: Temporal Acceleration (43pp) to grant 9 rounds of apparant time linked to dimension door to R24 linkedto Vigor(113pp) ( with a +36 wild surge. Enervation<31=fail: [roll0]) total cost of 100pp
Temporal Acceleration Standard: Favour of the Martyr SLA
Temporal Acceleration Move: Regain Focus
Temporal Acceleration Standard: Defensive Precogntion (162pp) with a +36 wild surge 126pp spent, +54 insight to saves and AC Enervation: [roll1]
Temporal Acceleration Move: Regain Focus
Temporal Acceleration Standard: Offensive Precogntion (162) with a +36 wild surge 126pp spent, +54 insight to attacks. Enervation: [roll2]
Temporal Acceleration Move: Regain Focus
Temporal Acceleration Standard: Ruin Delvers Fortune Will, linked to Ruin Delvers Fortune Ref linked to Ruin Delvers Fortune Fort linked to Energy Conversion linked to Iron Body linked to Schism linked Widened Pain Affinity Feild. 7pp spent
Temporal Acceleration Move: Regain Focus
Temporal Acceleration Standard: Twinned Bestow Power(126pp) linked to 9* 18pp bestow powers, regain 276pp, loose 126pp
Temporal Acceleration Move: Regain Focus
Temporal Acceleration Standard: Twinned Bestow Power(126pp) linked to 9* 18pp bestow powers, regain 276pp, loose 126pp
Temporal Acceleration Move: Regain Focus
Temporal Acceleration Standard: Twinned Bestow Power(126pp) linked to 9* 18pp bestow powers, regain 276pp, loose 126pp
Temporal Acceleration Move: Regain Focus
Temporal Acceleration Standard: Twinned Bestow Power(126pp) linked to 9* 18pp bestow powers, regain 276pp, loose 126pp
Temporal Acceleration Move: Regain Focus
Temporal Acceleration Standard: Twinned Bestow Power(126pp) linked to 7* 18pp bestow powers, Linked Synchronicity Linked to Synchronicitiy. regain 252pp, loose 126pp
Temporal Acceleration Move: Regain Focus

Time resumes:

After the strage warping happens Shishils neck flicks towards two of the dragons and a tremendous barrage of fireballs explodes between them. "Fire melts ice!" Shishil giggles

Schism Standard Action: Twinned Empowered Maximized Searing Admixed(Fire) Widened Energy Barrage (126pp) with a +36 surge enervation [roll3]
targetting the bottom three dragons by centring on AI 24
42d6 per explosion, maximized and empowered admixed for 3 explosions twinned = 6 reflex saves DC 135 for half, each save against 756 fire (searing)
Move Action: Regain Focus
Total PP change: -1441 +1356 = I lost 85pp!

Fort Saves w frostfells:
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
Total HP change:

[roll8] Initiative for next round.


"A ripple is space, new allies I find, stay in this place, and use magic in kind" Shishil humms, more to itself than anyone else.
"Attack first and speak after, no wardens are you, I should respond with laughter!" It shouts at the dragons

ALLIES JUST GOT A BUFF: +26 caster level, if you choose to use it there is a 30% chance you get sickened for 1 round. Lasts 36 rounds.
BADDIES JUST GOT A DEBUFF: -26 caster level, 30% chance to become sickened for 1 round when they cast a spell. Lasts 36 rounds.

[drack]

We can pretend I rolled ~4000 saves here...


Ruja of the Long Forgotten watches unimpressed as his thousand or so odd skeletons freeze instantly, shattering into a cloud of bone fragments that hovers ominously about the combatants. In an attempt to appease their appetites he sends his legion of specters as a clear simple target for the dragons, and as he does Ruja speaks, his voice echoing through the emptiness of the void.



"What is there you would not have us see, and to what end do you oppose us.
Moreover, ON WHAT AUTHORITY DO YOU COMMAND RUJA OF THE LONG FORGOTTEN,
MASTER OF THE UNTAMED LAND AND SLAYER OF FOOLS WHO THINK TO CHALLENGE HIS WILL?"

[Mousedigits]

Wow, I can't even make those saves, xD. Oh well. I'll just take the damage, and try to damage them enough to make it equal.


Suddenly, the large man speaks, his voice deeper than eny you've ever heard.

YOU DARE TELL US TO LEAVE? US, WHO HAVE CONQUERED SO MANY BEFORE YOU? WE, WHO HA...

The man is suddenly encased in ice.

Well, that was anti-climactic.

Auto-Make the Will save from the eyes.

Automatic 99 for Initiative.

EDIT: Put me in squares A11, A10, B11, B10.

[silphael]

Unhurt by the cold, the watery humanoid grabs his kukris and answer the attack with words first :

"What? You want us to leave and try to freeze us? I'm kinda missing something here..."

D17, and I'm gonna wait for my turn. I may have a lot of counters to trigger though, as mine are free actions out of turn.

[Raunchel]

Ermese heads into the portal, closely followed by the other elf. When the dragons appear she smiles at them, she no longer is the headstrong young warrior she once was, she has found the inner peace to pursue justice wherever and whenever it might be needed most. She feels the power of the time dragons wash over her, they seem powerful, but they attack. She avoids their effects easily, she is the servant of Light and the chosen of Artemis. Her face remains calm and composed, no innocents have been attacked, although this situation is threatening. The elf behind her reacts differently. One half of her face is stern, angry even at this sudden attack. The other smiles at the dragons. She however remains silent.

Ermese looks at the dragons and speaks: "For what reason do you strike us thus? We come in peace, and are in peace. Battle is the wellspring of pain and suffering, and I have no desire to spread either of those."

[Tempestfury]

(Put me on Square D-21)

Arcantos was not all that surprised when enemies appeared in front of them, and not all that surprised for them to be a type of dragon. With the amount of power they were dealing with, it wasn’t that surprising. When the others started gobbing on in response, the human rolled his eyes at their bragging... only to stiffen up when he heard a growl... or more like, felt the deep, powerful growl resonating through his body, and putting him on edge.

“You are not dragons.” Arcantos said firmly, not as question or his opinion, but a solid fact as his head drifted back to his blade, easily shaking off the effects of the cold. “I know you are resistant to both magic, and physical harm. I know you cannot be knocked out, and attempting to drain you experience, or physical and mental abilities are pointless, as well as being immune to the effects of time manipulation, similarly to time dragons. But I know that you aren’t dragons, not dragon’s of this reality.”

With that said he advanced forwards, hand still on his sword as he spoke. “I am willing to give you a chance. Just one chance. Explain your reasoning for attacking us, and I might leave you be. However, if you simply attack me again, you will be destroyed. Those are you only options.”

Moving up to X-21.
Improved Knowledge Devotion. [roll0]
Spending 2 Kiai to extend my range to 120ft.
Stances: Aura of Chaos, Aura of Perfect Order and Wolf Pack Tactics.

Intimidate Check: 11+252 = 263

[drack]

Ruja of the Long Forgotten was, to say the least, ill accustomed to so many beings thinking to raise their voices before him. Still, it was not unheard of. Ruja once more spoke, the deep reverberating chords echoing through the emptiness of the astral.


"It seems we are in agreement. One of us has, in the excitement of the moment, given you a slight brush of his power, but it is the same as you're ice.
Inconsequential.
Tell us, what do you guard and why? Why pick a fight you could never win over trifles such as where one chooses to stand?"

Ruja, of course, is referring to the fact that most of them could likely will themselves further in and be there. Thus going "any further" with relation to anywhere is naught but a trifle to such beings.... then there's the yammer of agreement and the questions we want answered, but that part seemed a bit more direct and less in need of an explanation. :smallsmile: