The Hand of Vecna Part1 (IC)

[DM_Danger]

The Hand of Vecna
- Quest for the Infinity Stones -
Part 1 IC

Link to theOOC

[DM_Danger]

Day 0
Aboard the Chitauri Leviathon Sanctuary

The Hand gathered silently upon the bridge of the Chitauri Leviathan. Orbiting the planet Theanor, the cabalists’ that crewed the spelljammer worked diligently at the spelljammer’s controls as they watched the last hearbeats of the the City of Oeth Marwendor play out before them through the clouds of the soot and smoke from the inferno below. They had come but a day before, and swept aside the city’s defenders, dooming this planet to fire, blood, and undeath. They had struck in a symphony of destruction. The Infiltrator, had spun discord and dissent, mapping the defenses and identifying the key players. The Artificer rained a spectacular orbital bombardment upon the supposedly unbreakable walls and wards, with a few adamantium rods and the rubble of a nearby asteroid belt. The Beast took to the field, his berserkers gathering a fearsome host ready to smash into the chaos. As the shattered remnants of the defense braced themselves, The Necromancer unleashed a mighty storm of death, raising the dead killed in the bombardment right within the city walls while the Knight silently teleported into the Royal Redoubt and slew both the royal family and the generals. The battle was decided before the first of the shock troops breached the walls. Now, the Silent Legions gathered the remaining survivors into the city square at their Master’s bequest. In the carrion pit behind them, a one-handed spectre with one glowing eye, the image of their master, Vecna, rises up from the ash and bone, whispering wordlessly into their ears.

“You have served Me well, My Hand, and brought me death, power, and, knowledge, that which I cherish most. I am pleased. The death of Oeth Marwendor shall soon engulf all of Theanor, as My children rise and consume the light of this world. My victory is assured.”

“ And so My Hand, I gift to you, one of the great dark secrets of Creation. Before Creation itself, there was Before, a time before time, when all was made up of a single unit, a lone entity. A single sentient being of unlimited power and potential. It was everything with in all existances. It was more than than anything has been since. All that was was already part of itself. There was no Other. Eventually, the All, grew bored with Existence, and tried something new, it slew itself. From its death, from its corpse, Creation sprang into existence, and the universe as we know it began. But such Power does not die easily. Six Potentials of the All Before lingered and were concentrated into the Six Great Infinity Gems. They are singularities of unrivaled power, each with the power to bring a God to its knees. Each is unique, able to control a facet of Creation, Space, Time, Mind, Power, Reality, even the Soul itself. They are hidden in the farthest corners of Creation, under the strongest of guardians, for woe be to Creation if their power is misused. Upon this pitiable orb, My inquisitors have teased a most interesting story from the corpses of the Royal family."

" It seems, My Hand, that Marwendor was once the keeper of one of the Six Great Infinity Stones, in particular, the Space Gem. An old ally of Mine, the archlich Szass Tam, tore into this reality from afar and stole the Space Gem some years past. And yet somehow, Szass Tam knows nothing of this. How has My old friend been keeping this secret? It is because it was not My Szass Tam that did the stealing. This particular Tam is from another reality altogether. Upon gaining the Stone, Other Tam had no problem returning to his world, the stone is such that it can move entire planets to anywhere in creation. We do not have such advantage, and the barriers to Tam’s reality seem to be particularly….resilient, as if someone was tampering with the boundaries of space. So, rather than conserving necromass and gaining enough to engulf this planet, We have decided to garner the prisoners We commanded captured to perform a ritual. For the sum of a few thousand lives, We shall open a Rift between this realities, large enough for you to take your cruiser, and you shall procure the stone for ME. Be wary, My Hand, I tore a pinprick into this world, and drank in its secrets. We are not alone in Our search for the stones, Forces of Light do assault Tam’s citadel as we speak. They have not gained purchase into the city however, as it appears wards designed to keep out the virtuous do guard the city. I suggest you use this opportunity as cover for Our operation. It would be wise to use the Forces of Order as a dupe and patsy in our acquisition of the stone. So…what say you My Hand before you depart?”

[DM_Danger]

This one is reserved too

[Lioslaith]

Vecna's Dark Knight, Samael, stood silently and listened as he laid out the next task for his Hand to accomplish. He was back to the tall, not quite large, size he normally wore. Wings still dripping royal blood from his slaughter. Not his Tam... echoed through his mind, This should prove...interesting. A guttural curse escaped his lips when Vecna mentioned the Forces of Light. The Hand had clashed with them on many occasions before and it appeared they would again. To Vecna Samael gave his usual promise and answer, "It shall be done." was all he said.

[Stevesciguy]

The thing stood silent, listening to the Godlich's words. As his speech grew to a close, the ever-present swarm of bats grew excited, twirling and spinning through the air. The constant telepathic whisper grew into an overwhelming din.

"Infinity Stones? - Dimensional rift? - Space Gem? - What could we do with such power? - Mine, Mine, Mine! - Kill the Light! - Yes! Kill! - Alternate Tam? - Keep it! - It's-"

"SIIIILLEEEEENCCE!"

The creature roared through the clamor. In an instant, there was total silence.

The creature's horrid 'face' took on a shape that only those who knew him well could interpret as a grin.

"Simply give the word, and these pitiful mortals' souls will be forfeit, and we shall soon return with this Space Gem."

[Genth]

"Fascinating" the Acolyte replied, floating about ten feet above the floor, brow furrowed towards their Gods image. "Yes, the vibrational frequency could allow for a transdimensional gateway, if appropriately charged through a polymithrite apparatus..." he muses, before raising a hand and starting to gesture, makimh the requisite apparatus in his lab across the ship, while he continues to speak. "A plan of subterfuge. An interesting prospect, My Lord. I assume your thinking is that we engineer a way for the wards to fall, and the Nexus to be taken in the ensuing fight, so that Tam will believe it the Forces of Light who took it. An interesting prospect. Umbra, you are the Little Finger, can you plot such deception?"

[3SecondCultist]

While the others speak and strategize, one being stands silently at the bridge of spelljammer ship and stares down at the sparks of flame that consume the surface of the planet below. He considers victory assured, and promises sworn. To anyone watching, the hulking figure of Obligatum IX would seem little more than a statue, save for the occasional pulses of midnight blue energy that can be seen escaping from beneath the thin cracks in his outer mithral plating. The living weapon gives no sign as to whether he is even listening to the figment of the Hand's master, distant blue eyes staring out unblinkingly at the carnage far below his feet.

It won't be long now.

It is not the place of the Eternal Warrior to speak at meetings such as this. The time for bloodshed has passed, at least for the immediate future, and so he has stayed his blade once more. Instead, he takes the time to crystallize the memory of the faces of those heroes who had the courage to stand up to him in battle at Oeth Marwendor. He resolves silently to find a way to commemorate them, as he has its countless other victims.

However, the promise of another clash so soon, and against 'Forces of Light'. This is not the first time that Obligatum has heard this term, and yet he has never formally met any of them in the field. He discovers that this not knowing is vaguely exciting - the prospect of a true challenge, unlike even the best of Theanor's host. The angel speaks up so that the exemplar does not have to, so Obligatum meets Samael's eyes in order to give him a slow, single nod of affirmation. The Dark Knight has taken a position of leadership among the Hand's battlefield operations, putting Obligatum in a subordinate role that he usually finds preferable. Commanding others is not his strongest aspect.

[Lioslaith]

As the other fingers gather the huge number of required souls to sacrifice in order to open this rift Samael turns his attention back towards the ship, a needed distraction. The prayers of the soon to be dead had reached a deafening cacophony within his head. Likely a cruel joke of his fall, before he could tune them out, now when you would think they would be silent, they were louder than ever.

Teleporting back to the ship he spoke to Obligatum, not really expecting an answer. "Vecna is wise as always but I foresee a problem for his Hand. If this large a sacrifice is required to open a rift, then an equally large one would be required to get back. This is to be a stealth mission so in this we cannot fail. It is either retrieve this space stone or do not return. The forces of Light will not fall as easily as Theanor."
He stood quietly for a moment, sorting his thoughts from the wails of the doomed. "Umbra will have a plan, no doubt."

After that he falls silent, letting the noise play itself out knowing it will abruptly stop once they died.

[paradox26]

The very shadows themselves part slightly, a figure that was always there, but never seen, appearing to the others from the darkness. The presence of shadows often heralded his appearance, as if they appeared to herald his presence, though none could usually see him. Ebony black eyes glitter at the very thought of the challenge that had been presented to the Hand. It was so delicious, and the excitement of that, combined with the dim awareness of the terror of the mortals below on the planet beneath them that caressed the edge of his awareness, brought him to an almost orgasmic sense of pleasure. He fingers the barbed hook that hangs from one of his chains, feeling the point dig into his skin for a moment, before his abilities quickly heal the damage once more.

"I do not yet have a plan, but mere notions, at this stage. As soon as we arrive, I will enter this Tam's city, and will work out which levers need to be depressed to create chaos sufficient to our needs. The presence of the forces of Light will only aid us, distracting Tam and his minions. There is no need to fight them, they will do that to each other. Once I have created the ideal situation, I will find a path for us through to the Gem, and the Hand can strike as needed by the situation. But until we arrive, I cannot offer a concrete plan of attack," he says, his voice a sharp whisper, like a razor blade cutting through the silence like flesh. Despite its quiet, its very sinuousness makes it cut through, so he is easily heard by his companions.

"Waiting any longer only makes it more likely that the battle will end before we arrive to take advantage of it. Shall we proceed?" he asks.

[DM_Danger]

"Indeed, Time, is something we do not have, YET!", Vecna says with some savage relish.

The form of the Unspoken One spreads his arms wide, gathering the Hand in a fatherly embrace.

"Mine Acolyte, erect the Matrix," the Supreme Lich instructs as he pscyhicly transmits the plans for the damnable sacrificial machine.

As The Acloyte assembles the machine. The Whisperer favors the Necromancer.

"Kaegromaekrix if you will do the honors," He commands.

Kaegromaekrix roars, a keening death roar into the apparatus that is amplified and transmitted to the herded lambs. Thousands of wailing, crying, pleading voices, snuffed in an instant as they all collapse, overpowered by the screech of death. Their lives forfeit, the energy is consumed and transmuted into a portal.

"I have willed, so My Hand acts, make it so"

You make it through the portal and Faerun awaits.

What next My Hand?

[paradox26]

Umbra watches with interest, but distaste, as the captives die at his colleague's hand. He is used to death, has caused much of it, but he personally prefers to torment the living, rather than simply to end them. The dead can offer him little, though his draconic friend has more options for them.

As they arrive in the new realm, he looks to the others. "Do any of you spellcasters have divination magic, to find Tam's realm? I assume it will probably be in roughly the same place as his realm in our reality, but that may be one of the things which has changed. I cannot cast such spells, but I can shadow walk to get us there, should you not wish to use normal teleportation magic. It will take longer than such magic, though. If you don't have the magic, we will have to descend and find a city, where we can get the location from either a cartographer or a sage," he says.

[3SecondCultist]

As the angel is speaking in his direction, the monstrous construct-like entity turns his head slowly to regard it. Just like the rest of this crew that Vecna has put together, Obligatum IX has devised several plans in order to neutralize him should he become a problem. He does not mention this out loud, of course - in his admittedly limited experience with people, telling someone that you have thought about killing them does little to endear them to your cause. So instead, Obligatum actually considers the words that Samael is saying, eventually finding the question to be borne of sound logic. However, he is not at all surprised when Kaegromaekrix ushers in a horde of the damned to throw away what remains of their essence into the thresher. Crystal lenses watch unblinkingly as each of their lights are snuffed out.

It is ever the lot of evil men, to sacrifice the many for the one. The words of an enemy, long dead. Obligatum has forgotten his name, but the phrase has stayed with him all the same. Shrugging his chrome shoulders at the rest of the group, the fallen kolyarut follows the rest of the Hand through the gate. When the mewling infiltrator lives up to his moniker, Obligatum just stares for a second and points at the incoming Acolyte as though the answer were entirely obvious.

"This one will have magic to serve," he gravels in Umbra's direction. Every word is the deep grinding of metal on metal, hinting at the machinery within. "His type tend to have answers long before the question is thought of."

[Lioslaith]

"Our first priority should be to hide our presence and our arrival here if we can." Samael turns as the Acolyte enters, "Finding Tam shouldn't be too difficult, he is here and as powerful as the one from our realm, I doubt his location is a secret."

[Genth]

The Acolyte calls up one of his viewing screens, holding out one hand and begining to speak in numbers and ancient langauge, focusing his mind as he casts out to search for this being, this Tam, picturing the one they know in his mind as a picture.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Scry, 2 SP, DC44 Will.

[Stevesciguy]

The horrid dragon creature observes this new world - so familiar, yet so different.

"We should hunt down some of the more powerful creatures of this realm - perhaps some older dragons or unusually powerful hydra - to kill and raise for our cause. At the least, we can use them as a distraction to split our enemies' forces."

[Lioslaith]

Samael shakes his head before responding, "Normally a sound strategy Kaegromaekrix, but I believe we are to get in and out as quickly and quietly as we can. The more we make our presence known the more our enemies will align against us." He watches as the acolyte locates Tam, "They may have already guessed the plan but may not be fully aware of the players. Let us not give them any more to work with than they already have."

[DM_Danger]

The Acolyte calls up one of his viewing screens, holding out one hand and begining to speak in numbers and ancient langauge, focusing his mind as he casts out to search for this being, this Tam, picturing the one they know in his mind as a picture.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Scry, 2 SP, DC44 Will.

Your senses expand, as your consciousness rushes across the terrain. You are drawn to the city of Thaymount, were a titanic army of humans, elves, giants, and dragons lays siege. As your mind's eye broaches the city walls, you are stopped abruptly, and your vision dims.

Spoiler: A Heavyness Engulfs YOU

Show

Will Save pls

[DM_Danger]

Genth

In your mind's eye, your scry is blocked, and a presence attempts to scry YOU, it is quite flattering, if almost childlike in the ease you brush it aside. Still, you have no doubt, it is quite competent by mundane standards. You see a pair of pinpricks of orange light, like dying embers, scanning the horizon, looking puzzled as if they expected to find something, and instead found nought.

[Genth]

Quietly, the Acolyte chuckles as he waves the screen away, hands returning neatly behind his back. "Our friend Tam seems to be in a spot of bother. A rather large army appears to be besieging his city. His powers are still impressive, even here however, I was not able to locate him specifically... I suggest infiltration. Umbra, I have a location for you. If I drop you into the city, you'll be able to find Tam himself? In the meantime, it might be useful..." he trails off, looking to Samael with a slight smirk. "How would you feel about about catching up with some old friends, hmm? Knowing what the Army of Light are up to could always be useful."

[Lioslaith]

Samael listens carefully to what the Acolyte reports. "Indeed, aside from assaulting the city for what we assume is a bid for the stone, knowing their plans would be a benefit." He walks towards the edge of the platform that served as a bridge on the leviathan, "Some questions come to mind. How closely does this realm reflect our own? Since there is a version of Tam here should we also assume there are versions of us? If I were to meet with this army of light would they know me as the fallen angel and immediately attack? I am good but I do not think I am capable of taking on the entire army of light."

He turns and walks back to the group, "The plan is sound as usual but I would like a little more information about where we are before proceeding."

[3SecondCultist]

Obligatum hears the proposed plan, and decides that it is mostly sound. Although he is no deep thinker, he knows battle like few others alive. Turning towards Genth and Samael while they speak, the fallen inevitable steps into the circle of the conversation.

"I can join Samael, as either an open escort or simply watching from a distance of four hundred feet." Either the Army of Light will see the angel and come out swinging - in which case the Eternal Warrior will be on hand to deliver an assist - or they will proceed in a discussion of terms, with Obligatum remaining out of the way. His ability to turn invisible, while not as impressive as some of Umbra's so-called talents, has lent him the element of surprise in some cases.

[DM_Danger]

Quietly, the Acolyte chuckles as he waves the screen away, hands returning neatly behind his back. "Our friend Tam seems to be in a spot of bother. A rather large army appears to be besieging his city. His powers are still impressive, even here however, I was not able to locate him specifically... I suggest infiltration. Umbra, I have a location for you. If I drop you into the city, you'll be able to find Tam himself? In the meantime, it might be useful..." he trails off, looking to Samael with a slight smirk. "How would you feel about about catching up with some old friends, hmm? Knowing what the Army of Light are up to could always be useful."

@The Acolyte

Pulling up the screen once again, the Acolyte waves a sensor in the air.

Probability Search:
Instance of dimensional doppelganger based on power signatures:


Subject: Kaegromaekrix: Signature detected 20 years ago, probability deceased
Subject: Obligatum IX: Signature detected 165 years ago, probability deceased
Subject: Samael: Signature detected 6076 years ago, probability deceased
Subject: Vecna: Signature detected: Ravenloft, probability imprisoned
Subject: Umbra: Signature not detected
Subject: Acolyte: Signature not detected

It is reasonable to deduce given these parameters, that the Master never left Ravenloft or formed the Hand in this dimension.

[DM_Danger]

@Kaegromaekrix

The swarm gathers around you, almost excitedly dancing for joy.

"You were extinguished here, died, died, failed. Too big, too bad, dead, died, died."

[Stevesciguy]

@Kaegromaekrix

The swarm gathers around you, almost excitedly dancing for joy.

"You were extinguished here, died, died, failed. Too big, too bad, dead, died, died."

"Bah! He was weak, and I am not."

With his next words, he allows sickly green flame to spill from his maw, to punctuate his words.

"And you would do well to remember that."

He allows the flame to fade again as he turns to address the group once more.

"I could take on a more humanoid guise to join Samael. If we are discovered, they will quickly find their ranks filled with the animated corpses of their once-companions."

At this, Kaegromaekrix chuckles, relishing the thought.

[Lioslaith]

"Vecna said we were to do this as quietly as possible. While I welcome the backup always I am not sure you nor the Beast are able to hide your true natures for the leaders of the Light." He looks over the information given him by the Acolyte once more, "If we are to try this ruse it will likely work best if I am alone." After a brief pause, "I wonder if this version of the Army of Light is one from our dimension or if it originated here?"

He looks to Umbra, "When will you be ready to go? I can help the Light enter the city to further distract Tam."

[Genth]

Acolyte strokes his chin as he studies the information, smiling slightly. "All of us are... accounted for aside from Umbra and myself. I know I am not here. Umbra... " he chuckles "We'd never find even if he was here. Although the chances are vanishingly small. Samael, you should be alright to join the Forces of Light. At worst, you've been dead for 6,000 years and someone went to your funeral. Stranger things have happened"

[paradox26]

"I am prepared to go at no notice. I have all that I possess on myself already. I can lead the way inside, but a barrier will stop me, and if I am detected, I am not the hardiest of warriors. I can always scare most enemies to death, but some creatures may be able to resist even my abilities. In which case, I would appreciate having support close enough to assist me. But, that said, most creatures capable of harming me will be unable to actually spot me in the first place. So the risks are probably manageable. Acolyte, do your powers give some idea as to the best place for me to begin or focus my search?" Umbra asks.

[Genth]

"None more specific than the city itself. Although I may attempt later scryings and update you - better information from you can assist in my divining." The Acolyte replies

[3SecondCultist]

"I would not walk by your side in the light," Obligatum retorts to the corrupted angel without elaboration. "My blade is insurance, or else it is a guarantee."

[paradox26]

"In that case, I am prepared to go now. The longer we wait, the greater the chances that the armies of Light will break through and get the stone. If you can send me now, I will start the search. You will likely be unable to scry upon me while I am gone, so I will be uncontactable," Umbra says to the others, but especially to the Acolyte. He stands apart from the others, ready to be sent down to the city.