The Ultimate Conflict (Team Awesome) IC

[Realms of Chaos]

The souls freed from their madness stop their writhing, looking about with lucid eyes for the first time they can remember, "Are we... are we safe?" one asks.

[Strainseir]

Alden nods still heaving a little bit,"You are not safe yet, for you are still in this twisted place. Give me a moment to rest and I will return you all to the material plain. Be warned, if you commit acts of evil in your new life I will find you and you shall return to this place."

Once had had rested enough for his powers to return, Alden would open up a gate that leads just outside the home of his people. They should be strong enough to deal with any troublesome people in this group. Reguardless he would need to check up on then after this quest,"Through this gate you will find my people. Tell them Alden has returned. They will help you."

[Realms of Chaos]

Those few mortals among the freed beings gladly and gratefully flee through the portal provided. The rest, however, seem to hold back. One of the petitioners reluctantly speaks up, simply stating, "Thank you, Alden, but we have been bound to this realm in death. There is no "out" for us except the howling maze of tunnels beyond this fortress."

[Strainseir]

"This gate can allow even gods to pass through if they so choose. Flee if you wish, or follow us. There are more than must be freed, and if we find him, a god that must be killed." Alden said with his voice full of resolve.

[Realms of Chaos]

Heeding your words and seemingly filled with new boldness, the petitioners reluctantly pass through the gate.

[silphael]

Before any of the petitioners steps through the gate, Slinar asks them, once again taking off his helmet:

"Is the elder of the Valmer here? I'm Slinar, Here to redeem my people. I simply have a question for you."

[Realms of Chaos]

One of the last healed petitioners, an old and emaciated man, pauses at the mention of the name, looking over the two of you with bleary eyes. "I... you need me?"

[silphael]

"Yes, I need your help : you are the eldest valmer to know where the living ones could be : you were with them before they disappeared, do you know why?"

Looking around him, he continues:

"It may be better to move from here, though... any idea, Alden?"

[Strainseir]

"If you do not wish to continue forward, I can return us to the valmer camp." he said in a quiet and reserved tone, though there was a considerable desire in him to end an evil god despite the fact they might not be strong enough yet.

[Realms of Chaos]

The Valmer, seeming to think things over, finally shows signs of recognition on his face. "It's you..." he says, slowly, conveying an ancient sense of wonderment in his voice, "Yes... yes I remember. I remember everything. You have to get me out of here. Erythnul can't learn where our race has gone."

[silphael]

"We go, then. If there is a valmer he has the right to bring back here, it's me, not my people!"

He slightly bows his head toward the old one.

[Strainseir]

Calmly Alden walks over to them. Placing a hand on each of their shoulders Alden closes his eyes shifting their position teleporting them back to the valmer camp. If the last spell he had cast previously to calm the winds had faded, Alden bends the winds once more to his will.

Spoiler

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Casting Greater teleport then if needed control winds

[Realms of Chaos]

Collapsing to the floor outside of the citadel, the elder Valmer kisses the ground as if it were his firstborn son. The others in the camp slowly move in around you, shouting whoops of victory and offering you libations.

At last, however, the elder seems to recover, "I can tell you what has become of our people, Slinar, but I warn you that you may not like the answer"

[Strainseir]

As the shouts of victory sounded, Alden humbly moved away. He looked for a secluded spot that he could could till hear and monitor his companion without interfering in the workings of his people or Slinar's glory. They had taken many things from a god just now. Chances are he would be angry and might be here soon.

[silphael]

"Finding them again is not only something I want to do, it's something I have to. A god died so that I could learn that : I'm not back for myself. Say it, old man."

His helmet still at his hand, his smile grows again, opened from one ear to the other.

[Realms of Chaos]

Alden: A series of of large thatched huts make up this hovel of a town, along with the ruined excuse for a town wall that still stands tall in places.

Slinar: Taking in a deep breath, the elder finally responds, "When you left... when you fought your war... when you condemned us and turned the gods against us so only He of the Citadel would take us and only so he could torture us... I apologize. Some wounds don't seem to fade."

Taking a deep breath in and out, the elder runs his hands down over his face and finally seems to regain his focus. "When all of this was happening, our leader... the one that we saw... told us that we needed to escape the world of gods. We walked for years across the desert and into the mountains and mines beyond, listening only to the words of the prime.

The form of our escape... and our revenge, I suppose, were the colossi. Giant constructs of flesh, stone, iron, void, water, fire, air, and a star plucked out from the heavens. We hung up our blade and picked up hammers, working for ages on our guardians and heralds... on our appeasement to the gods so they would not follow us... on guardians that would protect the gods if you turned to fight them. They would never dispose of such a weapon and if the time ever came for us to return... those few who had been left behind could bring the colossi together once more... if the gods had truly forgiven us, that is.

You wanted to know where your people are? They abandoned the world, leaving only weapons to use against you. If I hadn't fallen to old age, I would be with them right now." the elder pauses again, refusing to look Slinar in the eyes, "I'm sorry."

The rest of the Valmer look on with awe, apparently never having heard this story in the past.

[Strainseir]

Alden turned to glare almost coldly at the elder valmer. His speech about colossi stuck a hard cord in him. Despite his desire to stay silent and allow Slinar his moment in the sun, Alden could not stay silent,"Tell me Elder, did you create one of these Colossi for the God Nerull?" he spoke in nearly a growl

[Realms of Chaos]

surprised at Alden's response, the elder looks on dumbfounded for a moment before he responds. "We built one for whatever god of death would take it, yes. I did not survive long enough to say for sure who received it."

[silphael]

"Apologizes? You don't have to, I'm the one who should do it. Colossi, you say? How could they be enough to stop me, and why didn't the gods I angered realize I wasn't the well of my anger against them? Anger is still there, but not against them anymore. The plot that god of destruction had should now be as broken as him, and my curse gone. Phyrsigg, wasn't it what you said?"

Quickly, with her singing voice, the dragon answers :

"I don't know, I'm not sure about it anymore. It sounded that way when we stepped back out of our curse, but it's still possible they don't know exactly what happened... you were a toy in his plot, despite all my actions at this time, and it took us some thousand years to revert it..."

[Strainseir]

It took all of his calm then to not wipe that elder and his people off of this plan. Taking a few deep breathes he turned to stare at the Elder Valmer,"The god of death used the colossus in and attempt to destroy all life on my world. He took everything from me in the process. Thousands of my people died, my father, my foster parents, the only woman I loved. You made these things for gods... Tell me why I should not destroy you and all your people?"

[silphael]

Standing in the way between Alden and the ancient, Slinar growls in turn :

"He isn't to be blamed : it's out of pride they believed their creations couldn't be used for anything but defense, and they created it to attuned for the sins my madness made them do. If you want something from them, take it from me before, but I believe it isn't the right place to do it : fighting here would only bring the god of this place back to our attention..."

[Realms of Chaos]

Hesitantly, the elder speaks up, "It is as Slinar says. They were never meant to be used as weapons. We had simply crafted guardians strong enough to fight. That they'd be turned to other purposes... we didn't know"

[Strainseir]

Alden sighed softly and hook his head. He made a promise reguardless, and he planned to keep it,"When you are ready tell me where you wish your people to go, and I will open the way."

[silphael]

He turns toward the elder :

"Where are they, then? I found some of them, but the others... are they so far away? If that's truly the case, then I'll have to redeem myself in the eyes of the gods to find them... Do you want to meet the few who still follow me? In that case we'll have to go back to the plane where we met, Alden."

[Realms of Chaos]

the elder seems to consider the offer before shaking his head, "I am dead, Slinar. We all are. It isn't our place to live among the living. If you succeed at speaking with those gods, however, we would forever be in your debt if we were moved to any other plane."

[Strainseir]

"Death is simply a state of being. If you have decided to stay as you are then so be it, but your people stay dead only because you choose to be it. As for the gods, unless you wish to speak with Io, I refuse to aid you."Alden said flatly.

[silphael]

"Then I'll talk to him, and we'll make our move toward the current interplanar situation, I'm now understanding why I should help them, despite our divergences of opinions. As for their death, they died years ago, being powerfull enough to bring them back to life may simply not even exist... Have you all been juged for what I did? Which god dared to do that, which one was petty enough to consider that if the wrath of a mortal could destroy one of his bethrens, that wrath couldn't destroy him too? I'm not going to destroy him anymore, however. He'll be judged too."

[Strainseir]

"You may have forgotten, but I did just return your elder to life. When he was pulled from that wall he was restored life just as the others were that I sent to stay with my people. At the very least we can send them to an outer plane more... agreeable to those that are not evil."

[Realms of Chaos]

"I'm... alive?" asks the elder, pinching at his own cheek as if to make sure he's not dreaming. The old man begins laughing, slowly and picking up; a joyful, uncertain laugh as he looks around, "Yes, yes. It was... it was the lord of the keep who Condemned us. Erythnul is a being of grudges and our departure robbed him of our souls. The other gods did naught to stop him but it was that lunatic who claimed us."

[Strainseir]

"The young gods are indeed a group that listens to their baser emotions. What you did to appease them was foolish Valmer elder. If you wish it, and he permits, I can send you to speak with the overgod. We do not have much time now to work. The multiverse is in threat from the old ones. I do not think we can spare very much more time on this. Slinar. if you are capable of giving me more as sacrifice I should be able to return all your people to life." Alden said as he slowly sat down crossing his legs centering himself.