[Empire] False Prophet

[HalfTangible]

"Beware the false prophet. She comes to you wreathed in beauty and with words to freeze your soul, but her words are lies meant to burn your soul away." -The Doctrine of Frost

Snow fell in a flurrious blizzard, blanketing the landscape in white. The day sky had been turned dark gray by the storm, the sun only barely warming this place. It was as if Yphine herself had given this battle her blessing. The land was largely flat, and the nearest city glowed with the orange light of the fires they used to keep warm. For those in the plain of snow outside, the blizzard was nearly a death sentence.

Marvella smirked to herself as she stepped through the snow. Glazfell had chosen its meeting place well.

She hadn't worn armor like she did at the Gala. Her clothing now was her simple chemise and a fur cloak to keep warm. Servant of Yphine or not, the Lord of Fire's curse had her in its clutches as much as any mortal. She marched with two guards.

The high priestess needed no more for the task ahead.

She reached the designated place. A bonfire had been set up, and the glow had brought her andthe Glazfell delegation. Marmora was here too, it seemed, with a small group of Frosten. Her lieutenants, perhaps?

She nodded to the Glazfell. "King." She turned to the usurper. "Heretic."

[QuintonBeck]

"Greetings Marvella," Marmora said, her towering figure standing outside the warmth of the fire, "King Torre, I must admit I find this all rather undue. As I have told you, Yphinne commands the fiery beasts of Tzaltec, those that once sought to destroy Yphinne and her domain, be put down before they are a threat. The conveniences of politics pale in the face of heresy. Your Sycian 'prophet' and her embrace of the Dragon Cult bespeaks her misunderstanding and bastardization of the Doctrine. Do you even know of the lands beyond the Wall, Priestess? I should imagine you do not. You cannot possibly think to speak for our Lady Yphinne."

[HalfTangible]

"Greetings Marvella," Marmora said, her towering figure standing outside the warmth of the fire, "King Torre, I must admit I find this all rather undue. As I have told you, Yphinne commands the fiery beasts of Tzaltec, those that once sought to destroy Yphinne and her domain, be put down before they are a threat. The conveniences of politics pale in the face of heresy. Your Sycian 'prophet' and her embrace of the Dragon Cult bespeaks her misunderstanding and bastardization of the Doctrine. Do you even know of the lands beyond the Wall, Priestess? I should imagine you do not. You cannot possibly think to speak for our Lady Yphinne."

"Marmora, isn't it? 'The High Priestess speaks my will. To resist her is to resist me'. Do not lecture me on the Doctrine." Marvella said coldly. "Your plan would plunge the east into chaos. All the world would look to the Doctrine and see a doom cult led by a madwoman. The Triumvirate would swoop in and destroy the remnants of the Concordat, the Doctrine would be destroyed, and when the Winter came all would perish. Yphine would never have created the Doctrine in the first place if she wanted that."

"I'd gladly follow Her prophet into battle against the Tzaltec..." She tossed her cloak aside. "If I believed for even an instant that you were."

"But you are the only heretic I see here."

[QuintonBeck]

"I'm not here to argue secular politics Priestess. That you think your sect of the Doctrine is the only representative of Yphinne's word and that you would fail in supporting her true words bespeaks your limited scope and lack of belief. I believe the King of Glazfell called us here to settle this by sign of Faith, did he not? Let us not waste time then."

[HalfTangible]

"I'm not here to argue secular politics Priestess. That you think your sect of the Doctrine is the only representative of Yphinne's word and that you would fail in supporting her true words bespeaks your limited scope and lack of belief. I believe the King of Glazfell called us here to settle this by sign of Faith, did he not? Let us not waste time then."I assumed we're dueling first, and Marvella uses her Faith 10 at the end?

"If you're so eager." True ice spread across the priestess' skin, forming armor that covered her entire body.

[QuintonBeck]

I assumed we're dueling first, and Marvella uses her Faith 10 at the end?

"If you're so eager." True ice spread across the priestess' skin, forming armor that covered her entire body.


Yeppers. Using standard Games 2d6+Half Mil 3 Rounds Dueling


Marmora sighed, her breath making no fog despite the cool air and she raised her hands before her, ice appearing at her finger tips and crawling up her arm. Her eyes began to glow a dull white and she circled her opponent slowly before unleashing a frozen blast from the tips of her fingers in the direction of Marvella.

Round 1!
8 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18745711&postcount=268)

[HalfTangible]

Marvella drew her arms together and slammed one knee into the snow, trying to shield herself from the icy barrage.

(Roll (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?388673-EMPIRE!-The-Community-Dice-Rolling-Thread-The-2nd&p=18745754#post18745754): 12)

Marvella barely even flinched as the icy attack struck her. That... was unexpected. She rose up from her position on the ground and threw out her hands. The ice and snow around Marmora began to swirl towards and coat her. They seemed to freeze together, in an attempt to immobilize her.

(Roll (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?388673-EMPIRE!-The-Community-Dice-Rolling-Thread-The-2nd&p=18745754#post18745754): 6)

[QuintonBeck]

Marvella drew her arms together and slammed one knee into the snow, trying to shield herself from the icy barrage.

(Roll (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?388673-EMPIRE!-The-Community-Dice-Rolling-Thread-The-2nd&p=18745754#post18745754): 12)

Marvella barely even flinched as the icy attack struck her. That... was unexpected. She rose up from her position on the ground and threw out her hands. The ice and snow around Marmora began to swirl towards and coat her. They seemed to freeze together, in an attempt to immobilize her.

(Roll (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?388673-EMPIRE!-The-Community-Dice-Rolling-Thread-The-2nd&p=18745754#post18745754): 6)

Marmora threw her hands apart as the ice gathered around her making it burst apart in shards, scattering across the field.

12 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18746075&postcount=270)

"You truly do possess the blessing of Yphinne. It is so unfortunate you have blinded yourself to her true will," Marmora said, her giant form drawing up to its full height about 2 and one half more the size of Marvella.

She raised her hands into the sky and a great flurry of snow and ice appeared above her, consolidating into a spear of true ice bearing an unnatural sharpness and heft. Her hands flew forward towards the High Priestess of Sycia and the spear followed her command, aimed directly for the chest of the small Sycian woman.

15 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18746096&postcount=271)

[HalfTangible]

((The most I could roll is 14, you win.))

This time Marvella's armor shattered at the force of the spear. She was thrown into a pile of snow, tumbling across the plain and finally stopping facedown. This... Marvella wasn't built for this. She was a speaker, not a warrior. She could turn entire battalions into a frenzy, bless them in the goddess' name, and... all sorts of things. She had ice magic that could outperform anyone... but this woman knew that, and was fighting in a way meant to break her.

She tried to stand up, but collapsed into the snow. She moved a second time, and was able to pull herself to her feet. "It is you who are blind, Marmora."

Of course, those watching wouldn't be fooled. There was a bit of blood leaking from her mouth, and she'd taken that spear pretty hard. She could not win in a straight-up fight.

[QuintonBeck]

((The most I could roll is 14, you win.))

This time Marvella's armor shattered at the force of the spear. She was thrown into a pile of snow, tumbling across the plain and finally stopping facedown. This... Marvella wasn't built for this. She was a speaker, not a warrior. She could turn entire battalions into a frenzy, bless them in the goddess' name, and... all sorts of things. She had ice magic that could outperform anyone... but this woman knew that, and was fighting in a way meant to break her.

She tried to stand up, but collapsed into the snow. She moved a second time, and was able to pull herself to her feet. "It is you who are blind, Marmora."

Of course, those watching wouldn't be fooled. There was a bit of blood leaking from her mouth, and she'd taken that spear pretty hard. She could not win in a straight-up fight.

"You are defeated Marvella, by your own terms that you brought me. Accept it. Admit you were wrong about me and swear yourself to my words, the true words of Yphinne. Together we can destroy the fiery dragons and drive back the bane of Yphinne's domain with my armies and the armies of Glazfell marching side by side in holy war against the Dragons."

Marmora looked over to the King of Glazfell, hoping he might join her now that she had shown the favor of the goddess.

[HalfTangible]

"You are defeated Marvella, by your own terms that you brought me. Accept it. Admit you were wrong about me and swear yourself to my words, the true words of Yphinne. Together we can destroy the fiery dragons and drive back the bane of Yphinne's domain with my armies and the armies of Glazfell marching side by side in holy war against the Dragons."

Marmora looked over to the King of Glazfell, hoping he might join her now that she had shown the favor of the goddess.

"Read my terms again, Marmora. We fight until you yield." She stepped forward, hissing a bit. "I will win."

[QuintonBeck]

"Read my terms again, Marmora. We fight until you yield." She stepped forward, hissing a bit. "I will win."

"You can hardly even stand dear girl, you've been defeated, yield and I may yet spare your life, insist on pursuing this course of folly and I shall be forced to put you down," Marmora said, her voice insistently pleading.

"King Torre please, I do not wish to kill off your guiding Priestess, but she is leaving me little choice."

[HalfTangible]

"You can hardly even stand dear girl, you've been defeated, yield and I may yet spare your life, insist on pursuing this course of folly and I shall be forced to put you down," Marmora said, her voice insistently pleading.

"King Torre please, I do not wish to kill off your guiding Priestess, but she is leaving me little choice."

"Heh. How adorable." Marvella sneered, her voice taking on a new tone with just a hint of an arrogant swagger. "You can't kill her."

... wait. Her?

"You say you know my will, Marmora?" She said quietly, stepping forward in the snow. "Go on, then. What is my will? What do you think I want little Marvella to do here? Submit? Allow you to kill off the servants of my consort? Drown the east in blood?"

She scowled. "The only ones who separate the mundane from their faith are zealots. And zealots who care more for faith than they do for the lives of the faithful do far greater damage to the Doctrine than the Dragon Cult ever could."

The High Priestess of Yphine raised both hands towards Marmora. "You think to put me down, mortal? Just come and TRY."

[BladeofObliviom]

"You can hardly even stand dear girl, you've been defeated, yield and I may yet spare your life, insist on pursuing this course of folly and I shall be forced to put you down," Marmora said, her voice insistently pleading.

"King Torre please, I do not wish to kill off your guiding Priestess, but she is leaving me little choice."

"I am sorry, Lady Marmora, but this rite is old and powerful; even as overseer, I cannot end it until one party is dead or has yielded. It is out of my-"

And then it happened:


"Heh. How adorable." Marvella sneered, her voice taking on a new tone with just a hint of an arrogant swagger. "You can't kill her."

... wait. Her?

"You say you know my will, Marmora?" She said quietly, stepping forward in the snow. "Go on, then. What is my will? What do you think I want little Marvella to do here? Submit? Allow you to kill off the servants of my consort? Drown the east in blood?"

She scowled. "The only ones who separate the mundane from their faith are zealots. And zealots who care more for faith than they do for the lives of the faithful do far greater damage to the Doctrine than the Dragon Cult ever could."

The High Priestess of Yphine raised both hands towards Marmora. "You think to put me down, mortal? Just come and TRY."

King Torre reeled back in confusion, horror, and awe at this development. But still he watched, every moment tearing his eyelids open and drinking up the light of the sky and the chilling cold.

[QuintonBeck]

Something had changed in the Sycian's voice. Something Marmora recognized was there now, but...different. Her back straightened and her cold eyes examined the High Priestess, appraising her.

"The Dragons will take far more lives of the faithful or the could-be faithful if they are allowed to grow Marvella. I can hear within your words a portion of the Goddess, do not let your rage at me and devotion to your western tradition blind you to the full truth of her words."

"Or I will put you down," Marmora's eyes flashed with a bluish glow.

[HalfTangible]

Marvella's eyes began to glow as well. "We shall see." She rushed towards the giant woman, pushing her way along the ice via magic for the extra speed.

She needed to be close for this.

[QuintonBeck]

"You have chosen death," Marmora said, a twinge of sadness to her strangely tuned voice.

The giantess raised her hands rapidly, raising icy spikes between herself and Marvella, summoning a whirlwind of ice to encircle her and lift her into the air. Her giant form was a silhouette behind the white sheen and she pointed her finger towards the approaching Marvella, ice spikes bolting out of the cloud towards the Sycian Priestess. A great howling of winds shrieked through the air as the whirlwind surrounding Marmora intensified until it was nearly a wall of snow and ice. The Frosten lieutenants who had accompanied her looked on in awe, forced to shield their eyes from the wild ice particles flying through the air.

"Come not near to me, for I am holier than thou!" Marmora's voice, was it Marmora's voice? Echoed despite the lack of acoustics.

[HalfTangible]

"You have chosen death," Marmora said, a twinge of sadness to her strangely tuned voice.

The giantess raised her hands rapidly, raising icy spikes between herself and Marvella, summoning a whirlwind of ice to encircle her and lift her into the air. Her giant form was a silhouette behind the white sheen and she pointed her finger towards the approaching Marvella, ice spikes bolting out of the cloud towards the Sycian Priestess. A great howling of winds shrieked through the air as the whirlwind surrounding Marmora intensified until it was nearly a wall of snow and ice. The Frosten lieutenants who had accompanied her looked on in awe, forced to shield their eyes from the wild ice particles flying through the air.

"Come not near to me, for I am holier than thou!" Marmora's voice, was it Marmora's voice? Echoed despite the lack of acoustics."Did she seriously just say 'holier than thou unironically?"
"Shut up, lieutenant."

Marvella brought her arms up against the wind and stopped sliding. Boots of ice formed around her legs, and she began to stomp forward, albeit more slowly than before.

"BY MY WILL YOU SHALL KNOW THE WINTER'S VOICE!!!" Marvella's voice boomed far beyond the size of her physical body. Her hands and eyes began to glow a bright blue that was nearly white. "I AM YPHINE, AND THOU ART NOTHING BEFORE ME!!!

Shards of something that matched the bright blue in Marvella's hand lashed out at the ice shards Marmora was producing, and they shattered. What managed to reach Marvella did little more than cut her skin.

Something else bright blue began to trickle out of Marmora's mouth, and towards Marvella.

[QuintonBeck]

For a moment the world seemed to pause and Marmora watched as the shards fired by Marvella shattered her own, continuing on until they struck the giantess in the torso. Marmora looked down, the world dead still around her and saw where they had pierced her icy-blue skin. Cool blue blood trickled from the wounds and she felt it gather at the corner of her lips and drip from there as well. She looked back up and suddenly the world shot back into real time. The tempest of snow and ice surrounding her died down and she felt herself begin to fall from the sky life and the energies she possessed fleeing her body.

She collapsed with a great thud that quaked the ground as she hit the icy floor beneath her.

"You fool," she whispered as the image of the world around her began to fade.

[HalfTangible]

For a moment the world seemed to pause and Marmora watched as the shards fired by Marvella shattered her own, continuing on until they struck the giantess in the torso. Marmora looked down, the world dead still around her and saw where they had pierced her icy-blue skin. Cool blue blood trickled from the wounds and she felt it gather at the corner of her lips and drip from there as well. She looked back up and suddenly the world shot back into real time. The tempest of snow and ice surrounding her died down and she felt herself begin to fall from the sky life and the energies she possessed fleeing her body.

She collapsed with a great thud that quaked the ground as she hit the icy floor beneath her.

"You fool," she whispered as the image of the world around her began to fade.

"Had you come to us in peace, perhaps this could have been avoided." She said quietly as she grabbed the giant by her hair. "But blasphemy such as yours cannot be allowed to lead the faithful. Rest in peace, Marmora." Marvella opened her mouth wide, and a bright blue light rushed out of Marmora's body. It rushed into the High Priestess' mouth, and her skin began to turn blue. When she was done, she released the dead giantess.

The High Priestess had been transformed.

Her flesh, her hair, her skin... everything except her clothing had been transformed into true ice. If she had stood completely still, one might mistake her for a statue of Yphine. Her eyes glowed the same strange icy blue that had ended the life of the giantess. The ice she was composed of shattered into dust. This dust floated towards the king and the frosten before forming back into the icy woman they had seen before. As she did, she became flesh once more. However, her skin was now an icy blue.

Marvella looked to the King and to the Frosten. "Is this sufficient proof of Her favor?"

[QuintonBeck]

The Frosten lieutenants seemed frozen for a moment, looking between Marvella and the now dead Marmora.

"Witch! Kin-slayer! Blasphemer!" One finally managed to shout as tears streaked down his face.

"You have slain the emissary of the goddess to side with Dragons that would see Her killed! You and all who claim to follow you shall die for your false belief! Lady Marmora came to save you and you have destroyed her! Let the vengeance of the ice be swift and your suffering long!"

The Frosten gathered themselves and marched from the field of battle, to rally for war if they were to be believed.

[HalfTangible]

The Frosten lieutenants seemed frozen for a moment, looking between Marvella and the now dead Marmora.

"Witch! Kin-slayer! Blasphemer!" One finally managed to shout as tears streaked down his face.

"You have slain the emissary of the goddess to side with Dragons that would see Her killed! You and all who claim to follow you shall die for your false belief! Lady Marmora came to save you and you have destroyed her! Let the vengeance of the ice be swift and your suffering long!"

The Frosten gathered themselves and marched from the field of battle, to rally for war if they were to be believed.

She glared at the Frosten as they walked away. "I am Yphine." Her voice was as iron. "You cannot hope to fight me. What does it matter if the dragon's worshippers would want me dead? They cannot kill me. And neither can you."

Her eyes grew dark. "And the dragon himself is my consort. You will not harm him."

"Perhaps some among your people will see that the falsehood is the one I struck down, and your people can live. Marvella certainly hopes so... though I doubt it." She sighed and turned to the King. "You should ready your men, just in case. I'll send word to the Tzaltec tonight, and hopefully some of the Frosten will go to you instead."

[BladeofObliviom]

Marvella looked to the King and to the Frosten. "Is this sufficient proof of Her favor?"

Coughing once in shock at the sight before him, King Torre turned to his side to open the box he had carried here, and lifted forth the single vine of Thundersheet it contained. Sighing once to clear his head, he lifted the end of the plant to his lips and spoke, both to the assembled crowd.

"The rite is complete," said Torre, his voice amplified by the plant, "and the Goddess' will made clear."

A short delay as he pulled a misplaced lock of hair from his face, and then more words, these focused upon the retreating party.

"You may go to the Dragon's lands if you wish; we shall not spill the blood of kin without just cause. But know that you act without the Goddess' blessing or favor, and your losses will be terrible should you follow this road. No god, demon, or dragon may hold back the Goddess' wrath.

Tell what has happened here, brothers; tell all what Yphine has decreed."