This Topic is for Team Six (Iryla, Zarius, Natsunats-Shun) to reply to the main Sol Stone topic.

Zarius doesn't know what to think after passing through the ruin doorway and being jettisoned into a completely different plane of existence. Again. He glances around at all the other people who have been yanked from reality as he has...and sees Veliky across the way. Of course. He also sees the two men he approached the ruins with but there are many other faces he recognizes as well as some he doesn't and some...that look like they are different than he remembers. 

Kamille, Edward, Cyran, Astrid, Blue Raspberry, Gerhart, Shaa, Vi'ira, some guy, Cirice, Kvasir, Xalmann, Zeras...Caedes. What could this all mean? Why were they all here? Why did some of them look drastically different? Was...was Cyran missing an eye? His mind raced with questions and there were no answers to be found at this time. 

Immediately to his left and right are Iryla and some new aviankin he has never met before. Inexplicable, Snow the catfolk and Eirynor the half-elf are both also there and look utterly confused and, rightfully, fearful.

Towering before them is a being incomprehensible by mortal minds. Both awe inspiring and terrible at the same time. But the only thing Zarius feels is something...familiar...and angry. It's a primal rage that builds deep within him and threatens to overtake his senses. He's felt this before and he quickly pushes it back down. Not again. His body. His rules. 

He covers his mouth as he coughs some smoke up before looking at Scern. The man was up to some mage shit. Zarius was never one for magic, but he can feel the sheer volume of magic Scern was gathering. As much as he wanted to interrogate the infamous cultist to understand the situation unfolding before them, there is no time for it as the godly manifestation of what could only be described as Ziev, the god of time and space himself, tries to erase them from existence. 

Luckily Scern's barrier holds, but he couldn't work on whatever spell he was casting to get them out of there and defend against a god at the same time. They needed to keep Ziev preoccupied as best as they could in order to have any hope of a chance to survive and return home. 

"Iryla, stay safe otherwise Cyran will hunt me down in the afterlife and kill me a second time," he says to the young half-elf before turning to the aviankin. "I am sorry, I do not know you but we do not have time for introductions, I am going to sneak around to attack a blindspot. If this thing even has one."

He looks back at Eirynor and Snow. "Defend that man, he is likely our only way out of here. Try to draw that thing's attention away and do. not. die."

The two nod and Eirynor quickly turns invisible and runs to defend Scern if Ziev throws another physical attack his way. Snow runs the opposite way and takes two arrow shots at Ziev in an attempt to at least distract him from the other adventurers. 

Zarius also turns invisible and quickly dashes around the base of the celestial being, finding a spot under where his ribs should be and launching a sharp jab into his core with hopes of stunning him and cutting off his ability to cast magic. Though being a being of space, Ziev likely does not even have any organs to target. 

---

Defensive Actions
Zarius activated Invisibility to sneak around to a more advantageous position.
Eirynor activated Invisibility and is providing cover for Scern.

Offensive Actions
Zarius used his Knuckle Knives Dashing Enchantment to race around to the side of Ziev and is attempting to use Back Stab in his blindspot stacked with a Stunning Blow to cut off his spellcasting for his next post. 
Snow has fired two arrows (unholy and fire rune) at Ziev

Passive Abilities
Abyssal Darkness (all Zarius' attacks do Dark damage)
Cats Grace
Dark Vision
Elemental Immunity (Light)
Hands are Weapons
Prehensile Tail
Sigils Blessing (Eirynor and Snow's attacks do fire and unholy damage)
Silent Step
Stunning Blows (any of Zarius' attacks that hit can stun a limb rendering it useless, or the head or torso cutting off spellcasting for 1 post)
Surface Scaling

Equipment
Constrictor Wraps
Essence of the North
Knuckle Knife - Dashing enchantment
Ignis Staff
Medical Kit
Potion of Shadows
Shaping Putty
Smoldering Cape
Spider Silk Boots
Sun Sparked Goggles (cannot be blinded by light based effects)
Talking Heads

Minions and Pets
Eirynor - Novice Blade (longsword with unholy and fire runes); Master Stealth (Silent Step, Invisibility)
Snow - Novice Marksmen (longbow with unholy and fire runes); Master Stealth (Cats Grace, Surface Scaling)
Oozeling
Bottle of Sootlings

          I'm not sure what to think. First I get teleported into a weird space, separated from my company. Then a whole bunch of other people appear and I'm suddenly pancakes between another tiefling and a moon elf. It was weird. Adding to that, the boss of the guys who were trying to kill us a few seconds ago runs up to us and saves us, which seems counterproductive, until he goes and asks us to protect him. From Ziev. Now it was straight up bizarre. But either way, my new tiefling neighbor was correct- Ziev seemed fairly intent on killing us. Or maybe he just wanted to kill Scern and didn't care that we were in the way. Either way, becoming a red smear on… whatever magical whatnot the surface we were standing on was comprised of was not how I planned to go, so I guess I owe him this much. A life for a life. Hah, a murderer who plays fair? I took a breath, ignoring the invasive thoughts. I patted myself down. I still had all my stuff, so that was good. So. Fighting a god. Who might not actually be a god, judging from what Scern said. Well, I guess that makes it easier? If the gods are a lie, does that mean that demons are too? My mind screeched to a halt at that thought.

            Well, are the gods a lie?

           That was the question of the day, wasn't it? I thought of how wonderful the world was, and everything that made me praise Ginma. No, the gods can't be a lie. I looked at the barrier and the hand that'd risen to strike us. But maybe this one is. And maybe others are too. As someone who prides myself on being an advocate for the trampled and misunderstood, I am ashamed of myself for never asking for the reason behind the cultists, no revolutionaries actions. How they came to side with devils. How maybe, as one with a strong demonic lineage, I should have been fighting with them too. The moon elf disappeared, and I too, took off silently, melding into the darkness and reaching out to Ziev with a taloned hand. 

            It's time we all sit down and have a nice chat.

---

Debuff Action: Be Jolly

Passive: One with Shadows

Something was different. Something was wrong. She stands surrounded by faces both familiar and not, but even the ones dearest to her seem off in some inexplicable way. But not quite as wrong as her body felt. Power thrummed in Iryla’s veins- But of course, it was; why was that strange- She felt larger, taller- And yet her skin had never felt so constricting, she had never felt so small and fragile before, or had she- She felt powerful- She felt weak- She felt old and impossibly young. She did not feel like herself, and yet she knew that she was as she had always been.

She felt…

She felt just. So. Wrong.

"Iryla, stay safe...”

“Zarius…?”

Iryla looks at the tiefling, and for some reason, she is struck by his appearance, though she cannot exactly explain why. She had always looked up to him- Yet now, why did it feel like she could stare at him eye to eye…? Confusion swirls in her mind as she parses through his words. He wanted her to stay safe, for Cyran, likely meaning she should stand in the background. Out of the way. She could understand that. Fighting that being of swirling darkness and space was clearly not a fight for a child-

But she…

She was not a child.

Almost without thought, sparks of light spring into being around Iryla’s gloved hands. She makes a gesture in the air, one she is not quite sure she knows despite the muscle memory that kicks in. From nothing, a shimmering wall of light ignites, curving around Iryla and those around her as a protective shield, illuminating their faces with shades of blue and pinkish light.

Her eyes glow with an unnatural light as she plucks a mote of light from the air around her and lets it grow in her palm. She weighs the feeling of it, studying the way it crackles with an energy that feels so familiar before she winds her arm back and sets it loose into the air towards Ziev.

The spark of light soars, glimmering and growing as it leaves a shimmering trail in the air, an arcing meteor released from her hands. A spear of her light to pierce a God.

“Stay behind me if you need protection or healing!” Iryla calls with a confidence that was not yet hers. “I can keep you safe.”

---

<sup>Action Summary - 
Defensive Action: Cast Wall of Light 
Offensive Action: Cast Purity Bolt at Ziev

Passive Abilities - 
Angelic Pact
Angelic Light: All of Iryla's physical attacks deal Light Damage
One with Shadows
Shadow Sight
Dark Vision
Pass Without a Trace
Cat's Grace
Silent Step</sup>

Zariu's legs shake as he take a knee there in the void of space. 

What the hell was that?

He-- and presumably the rest of those here-- had just experienced what felt like eternity in the span of a few seconds. He was exhausted, yet they were back to the moment before the concept of the passage of time was wrenched apart and spun into infinite repeating loops by the hand of this supposed God.

Looking back up at the cosmic divine bearing down on them all, Zarius feels something build up in his chest. What should have been fear from being in the presence of seemingly limitless power was instead absolute seething hatred. 

The logical part of Zarius' brain tries to understand where this emotion is coming from but it is overwhelmed by the chorus of whispers that scream into this mind. He heaves and starts coughing, plumes of thick black smoke escaping his lungs as his blood becomes fire. 

Stop it. Think first. We need a plan. Stop it. 

No.

Underneath his skin, blue embers glow and a couple blue flame lick off his hands. This thing-- no, these things-- inside him threaten to overwhelm him and assert their will over his own. 

His eyes burn with blue light and he looks up at the visage of Ziev, the rage overtakes him. This god. This thing. A liar, a fake, an imposter. How dare he. 

"Master Zarius!" Snow starts to rush over to provide him with cover in case Ziev threatens to attack again. 

"Keep attacking that thing!" The tiefling shouts, rising to his feet. "There has to be a trick to all this we are just not seeing yet."

For the time being, he has wrestled a small amount of control back from the voices. 

"Y-yes, sir." Snow backs off and turns back towards the supposed God.

There's a moment when Snow feels like they can't even raise their bow. A feeling of dread and hopelessness overwhelms the catfolk. Their fingers tremble as they try to draw their bowstring back. They're scared, they want to run, they still do not understand how they even ended up here in the first place and now they stood before something so much bigger than themselves. Closing their eyes tight, they take a shaky breath and try to calm down their racing heart, but the anxiety races through their veins and keeps them frozen in time.

A gentle hand lands on their shoulder and they jump a little before looking around and meeting Iryla's kind eyes. She's...taller...older than Snow remembers and there's a determined glimmer in those eyes that used to be filled with self doubt and inexperience. 

With the half-elf's reassurance, Snow takes a deep breath and calms themselves. They take aim and fires two shots at the god, hoping that they're helping if even a little. 

Zarius reaches towards Ziev. The culmination of hundreds of lives before him gather together for this one moment and bolster Zarius' will with their own. He can see it, for just a brief moment he can see the strands of magic that hang in the air. Whatever magic Ziev had used still lingered, its effects still present no matter how far back in time he sends them. The tiefling grabs one of those strings tight and tries to bend space and time to his own will the same way Ziev had done, focusing intently on the divine entity as the target of its exhaustive effects. Let the deity of time and space have a taste of his own medicine.

Meanwhile, Eirynor holds his ground and continues to safeguard Scern. He glances at Kamille and sees the expression on her face. She had managed to cast some sort of spell, he thinks. His memory is hazy, but the expressions on her face burn into the back of his mind. She has learned something important, he just hopes it will help them figure out how to escape this hell. 

---

Buff Actions
Zarius marks Ziev as his Sworn Enemy

Debuff Actions
Zarius attempts to use Magic Mimic (1/2 uses per topic) to use Ziev's own spell against him. 

Defensive Actions
Eirynor continues to provide defense for Scern

Offensive Actions
Snow has fired two arrows (unholy and fire rune) at Ziev

Passive Abilities

SPOILER: Click to show

Abyssal Darkness (all Zarius' attacks do Dark damage)
Cats Grace
Dark Vision
Elemental Immunity (Light)
Hands are Weapons
Prehensile Tail
Sigils Blessing (Eirynor and Snow's attacks do fire and unholy damage)
Silent Step
Stunning Blows (any of Zarius' attacks that hit can stun a limb rendering it useless, or the head or torso cutting off spellcasting for 1 post)
Surface Scaling

Equipment

SPOILER: Click to show

Constrictor Wraps
Essence of the North
Knuckle Knife - Dashing enchantment
Ignis Staff
Medical Kit
Potion of Shadows
Shaping Putty
Smoldering Cape
Spider Silk Boots
Sun Sparked Goggles (cannot be blinded by light based effects)
Talking Heads

Minions and Pets
Eirynor - Novice Blade (longsword with unholy and fire runes); Master Stealth (Silent Step, Invisibility)
Snow - Novice Marksmen (longbow with unholy and fire runes); Master Stealth (Cats Grace, Surface Scaling)
Oozeling
Bottle of Sootlings

The world was spinning beyond Iryla’s control, time shifting under her feet. She had- She had been here before, in this very moment. A strange sense of Deja vu wore down her bones, leaving her feeling weak and tired and confused, even more so than she had been before-

She had been in this moment many, many, many times. Time seemed to shift around her, it’s twisting incomprehensible. There were words she could not hear echoing in her head. Faces she had never seen before swimming in her memories just out of reach. Iryla had been here before. She’d been here more times than she could count now.

This wasn’t right. But she could not begin to comprehend the wrongness of this second in a way that made sense. This was something beyond her, something beyond all of them, if the sagging shoulders of her companions and the murmurs of fear and confusion all around were any indication. Near by she sees Snow and notices the trembling of their hands, the rapid intake of breath that seems to stem from something other than exertion, something much deeper and more terrible.

Despite the exhaustion and nausea weighing her down, Iryla steps forward and places a hand on Snow’s shoulder. It’s easier to reach now than she remembers it being, but she does not pay that much mind. Instead she focuses on keeping a resolute expression on her face.

“Keep steady, Snow.” She murmurs to the Tabaxi, her eyes going softer with her words and gleaming with an unusual light. “I’ll keep you safe.” Her words are laced with a promise she intends to keep. She’d try to keep them all safe, if she could.

Nothing in this world would stop her from trying. Not even the Gods themselves.

She shouldn’t… feel so confident right now. And yet she did. Her hands felt steadier than they ever had before, like there was years and years of practice behind the muscle of her palms and fingers. She should feel more fear. It would only make sense for terror to sieze her here, she was just a girl, after all. A girl suddenly thrown into a conflict beyond her comprehension. Any other teenager in her situation would no doubt be terrified beyond measure. Iryla had no right to feel this grim determination, no matter how familiar it seemed to be as it settled into her chest. It shouldn’t have been hers.

Not yet.

The half-elf nods in approval as the Tabaxi steadies themself and takes aim once again for the god before them all. Nearby there is a commotion as a woman Iryla has never seen before seems to cast some spell on Scern. It looked as if there were several others turning their attention to try and keep the mad-man safe while he cast whatever arcane magics he could to supposedly save them.

Fuck. Iryla sure as hell wasn’t sure if he could be trusted, but it seemed many of the mortals here had come to the same conclusion. Even if he could not be trusted, the mad-man was likely their best bet for getting out of this situation. He seemed to have some idea of what was going on- And it was obvious the god before them would not be showing them mercy.

That molten edge in her eyes hardens into steel as she reaches out into the air once again, plucking light from the ether and setting it ablaze in her hands. A shimmering wall once again springs to life, this time curling protectively around Scern’s form, joining the protection offered by others. Like a burning aurora of pink and blue and light, so much light.

Iryla feels something then, a sort of surge itching under her skin. A howling in her head, just waiting for her. At first, she cannot tell what it is. She can merely feel it as shivers run up and down her spine. Then, it seems to click.

”Freeze him.” She whispers to the wind, eyes alight with magic. And the winds rise to answer her call even in this void. A freezing gale roars in her ears and rises to buffet Ziev’s massive form. She didn’t know if it would be enough to truly affect a being such as a God, but perhaps it would be enough to give her companions an edge.

---

Action Summary -
Defensive Action: Cast Wall of Light to Protect Scern
Debuff: Cast Frost Flash on Ziev 

         I blinked, processing what had just happens. Time manipulation. I looked at Ziev's dastardly face and if I let a little more murder than I should have into my thoughts, that would be a future me problem for when I go back to researching how not to become possessed. If I can go back. I tiredly took a swig of fejoda. The stuff works wonders when you have gigs several nights in a row, and apparently when you're experiencing what I'm assuming is some sort of magical fatigue too. Hunger and thirst satiated, I was still tired, but it gave me a sense of peace and optimism. Don't give up, we will get out. But if we can't, … Dear whatever gods do exist, please take care of this crazy imposter. 

       As I was sorting out my thoughts, people were talking amongst themselves, steadying each other, discussing what Ziev had just done and what our next move should be. I scrambled for what fading memories remained. I think I had an existential crisis about the verity of gods and divinity which… made me ashamed of myself. Had I been using my 'innate demonic nature's as an excuse to give up my morals and self control? Since when was I so calloused towards pain and death? I stared at my claws. But would have I been able to survive to this point without it? It's not like I killed without reason, and I generally tried to avoid it… The sound of the first attacks and chants shook me out of my thoughts. Now was not the time.

         I went over what I could do, and the strategies discussed. Mental attacks didn't work, physical attacks didn't work, magic attacks didn't work, even when they were buffed up. The general conclusion was to debuff Ziev so hard that he couldn't turn back time, or buff Scern so that he casted so fast that we could get out of here lickety-split, but do so without giving away that he was important. So, I pulled out my flute and flew up to hopefully get a better range, and started playing. This one wasn't a full piece, but it's what I've been practicing, so it's what came to mind first. It would do. The main point was the speed and intent. The melody flitted about between shrill chirps and humming lows, with only enough rest to lend the music contrast and movement.

---

Buff Note of Momentum

Buff Flask of Fejoda

The threads of arcane magic slip through Zarius' fingertips. He gasps and staggers back, a bout of coughing overtaking him once more.

What did he think would happen? Trying to manipulate time and space to the same degree as a god? He barely understood magic himself, and whatever had granted him some magical abilities was far from under his own control. It was a foolish attempt.

His eyes glance about at all the familiar faces there in the strange realm of space with him. Others here were still fighting, still giving it their all despite how hopeless things appeared. He couldn't stop either. There were people counting on him. He had to make it back. He had to get everyone back, no matter what.

Fight. 

The chorus of whispers invade his mind once more, drowning out the sounds of the ongoing battle. The burning in the back of his throat is unbearable and smoke wafts in his face with every breath. 

"Master Zarius! What should we do?" Snow's voice falls on deaf ears. The catfolk looks for guidance, and receives none. "Shit. Miss Iryla, I will support you anyway I can." They draw their bowstring back once more and fire another two shots at the god before them. There was little else they could do. 

Eirynor frowns at the situation, but continues to hold their ground around Scern, giving one of the men who approach the cultist in a threatening manner and warning side-glance.

Zarius closes his eyes and focuses his thoughts amidst the chaos of the battlefield and the cacophony plaguing his mind. The image of a blue flame slowly comes into focus in his mind's eye. A small thing, flickering in the darkness, yet it persists. It hungers. It consumes.

A torrent of blue flames erupt from the tiefling's back as his eyes snap open, flashing with blue light. The flames gather and manifest into a pair of burning wings before he rushes forward and springs into the air, taking off and heading directly at one of the beams threatening to destroy Scern and their ticket back home from this hell scape. 

Once he reaches the point of intercepting one of the beams, he hovers and gathers more of the flames around his arms. The flames wreathed around his form flicker with anticipation as the beam bears down on him. Closing a fist tight and bracing himself, the tiefling makes an attempt to deflect the beam with the a single strike bolstered by the dark energies infused within the flames. 

---

Buff Actions
Zarius uses Harbringer of Evil (1/topic; ⅓ post duration) and takes off into the air

Defensive Actions
Zarius attempts to use Deflecting Slice (1/2 uses per topic) to protect Scern. 
Eirynor continues to provide defense for Scern

Offensive Actions
Snow has fired two arrows (unholy and fire rune) at Ziev

Passive Abilities

SPOILER: Click to show

Abyssal Darkness (all Zarius' attacks do Dark damage)
Cats Grace
Dark Vision
Elemental Immunity (Light)
Hands are Weapons
Prehensile Tail
Sigils Blessing (Eirynor and Snow's attacks do fire and unholy damage)
Silent Step
Stunning Blows (any of Zarius' attacks that hit can stun a limb rendering it useless, or the head or torso cutting off spellcasting for 1 post)
Surface Scaling

Equipment

SPOILER: Click to show

Constrictor Wraps
Essence of the North
Knuckle Knife - Dashing enchantment
Ignis Staff
Medical Kit
Potion of Shadows
Shaping Putty
Smoldering Cape
Spider Silk Boots
Sun Sparked Goggles (cannot be blinded by light based effects)
Talking Heads

Minions and Pets
Eirynor - Novice Blade (longsword with unholy and fire runes); Master Stealth (Silent Step, Invisibility)
Snow - Novice Marksmen (longbow with unholy and fire runes); Master Stealth (Cats Grace, Surface Scaling)
Oozeling
Bottle of Sootlings

Note: this one is for the previous round

---

I continued to play, ripping my way through 'Flight of the Bumblebee' and it's rival, 'The Bees', through the frantic 'Battle on the Ice' and '1812', and 'William Tell Overture', and anything else I could think to play, because even as I was looking at a god with a magical beam of destruction, that was all I could do. Play and run- all that I'd ever done (unless you count the killing, we aren't proud of the killing, that wasn't my fault, those were very much my hands bathed in that beautiful crimson). A mispitched note snapped me out of my thoughts and I continued, with full focus on directing the magic through the music. I glared at Ziev, full force, envisioning raking my claws at his blindingly bright eyes and bending his divine conscience to my will through the various barriers that colored the vast expanse in a patchwork of color. But of course, I didn't. Step too close and I'd be dead. The spells that we all have tried have failed. The barriers strained and broke as lines of energy collided with them. I moved to make sure I was away from the center, out of the light's way.

Zarius is sent back flying by the force of the beam, nearly slamming down into the ground across the battlefield. Before he can strike what acts as ground in this realm of space and time, the dark flames engulf him fully. With the fire burning through his veins, his strength is bolstered and allows him to recover mid air before shooting up back towards Ziev with a powerful stroke of his wings. 

As the chains manifest and bind Ziev, the tiefling flies overhead, finally able to get the high round above the previously towering so-called god. He hovers over the giant form of swirling magic, space, and energy, Scern's spell holding fast for the time being. Smoke billows off of the tiefling's body and his skin starts to blister and flake off like ash. There would not be another opportunity like this. It was now or never. 

Destroy.

His wings flicker and fold in on themselves as he goes into a freefall towards the chained god. The wind rushing by his ears and the roar of the layered whispers drown out the voices of anyone else who might be shouting at the time. He doesn't even see anyone else, his eyes aflame with blue light and only Ziev in his sights. 

Once he's within a few dozen feet, he twists an flips around, bringing his heel enshrouded in dark magic down on the god's form. The strike bursts into a swirling column of dark flames, increasing the damage of the hit should it connect with anything of substance. 

Eirynor watches helplessly from the ground as the blue flames streak through the air and collide with the felled god. He looks over their shoulder at Scern as the cultist shouts at anyone who would listen. He narrows his eyes, untrusting of this stranger with magic unfathomable to the half-elf swordsman. Turning his attention back to Ziev, he adjusts his grip on his sword. This better be the last of this, he still doesn't understand what is going on or how he got there in the first place. He just hopes when this is all said and done that he can go back home. 

Stepping away from the cultist, Eirynor sprints forward and takes two slashes at Ziev while he is down. He might not be able to do nearly as much damage as the many seasoned and powerful adventurers here. But he will at least do the best that he can to help however is possible. 

Meanwhile, Snow stands by Iryla and fires another two arrows at Ziev while he is bound. They were starting to grow anxious. Was this really going to end? What would it mean when it does? If they kill this thing...this god...what would be of Charon afterwards? What would be of them? There were too many questions, and no prospects of getting an answer. All they could do is try to survive. 

---

Buff Actions
Zarius continues Harbringer of Evil (1/topic; 2/3 post duration)
Zarius uses Abyssal Infusion (1/topic), 1/3 post duration) to increase strength and speed

Offensive Actions
Zarius uses Guillotine Drop on Ziev
Snow has fired two arrows (unholy and fire rune) at Ziev
Eirynor has made two slashes with his longsword (unholy and fire rune) at Ziev

Passive Abilities

SPOILER: Click to show

Abyssal Darkness (all Zarius' attacks do Dark damage)
Cats Grace
Dark Vision
Elemental Immunity (Light)
Hands are Weapons
Prehensile Tail
Sigils Blessing (Eirynor and Snow's attacks do fire and unholy damage)
Silent Step
Stunning Blows (any of Zarius' attacks that hit can stun a limb rendering it useless, or the head or torso cutting off spellcasting for 1 post)
Surface Scaling

Equipment

SPOILER: Click to show

Constrictor Wraps
Essence of the North
Knuckle Knife - Dashing enchantment
Ignis Staff
Medical Kit
Potion of Shadows
Shaping Putty
Smoldering Cape
Spider Silk Boots
Sun Sparked Goggles (cannot be blinded by light based effects)
Talking Heads

Minions and Pets
Eirynor - Novice Blade (longsword with unholy and fire runes); Master Stealth (Silent Step, Invisibility)
Snow - Novice Marksmen (longbow with unholy and fire runes); Master Stealth (Cats Grace, Surface Scaling)
Oozeling
Bottle of Sootlings

I’d just finished a very angry excerpt of the Rite of Spring when I heard Scern’s hopeful order. I wasn’t proud of the killing but that wasn’t relevant now. Me? Kill this guy? As if! But I was mad at him. This incident uprooted everything I knew about the gods, proved how helpless I really was in battle, and is trying to kill me. I put down my flute as I watched the tiefling beside me take to the sky sword in hand, magical residue streaking behind him. What am I doing here? I’m assuming that the spell Scern was casting was this cage of chains, so I don’t need to buff him anymore. Ziev already isn’t very mobile, no need to buff anyone else’s speed. I watched all the experienced adventurers, and young warriors lead the charge. That looks so cool. I want to do that too. ME TOO. Dark magics wrap around my form and my wings, no longer white and fluffy, but instead now sleek obsidian with red barring that seemed to glow. My talons went from glorified nails to fully fledged blacked knives, knives that HAVE drawn blood and breath and life (-but). I WILL NOT BE A WALLFLOWER IN THIS BATTLE. I launched myself the grounded deity, head on. No shadows, not this time. This was history in the making, and if I want to say something, if I want to be remembered, I need to be seen.

---

Buff Action-Abyssal Infusion

Attack - Claws (Unarmed Skill)

    I blinked and the realization that no, I wasn’t dead, and yes, the people around me had changed again. I blinked the bloodlust from my face and took in deep breaths, gently letting go of the demonic energies I hadn’t realized I’d built up from the fear and desperation that clogged the air. I was ashamed that I actively wanted to kill someone, with my own hands, for what, a place in history? But at the same time, I knew that had…something not happened to get us out of there, I would be dead. Did I want to go down with out a fight? No. Did I want to fight if it meant killing with intention? I thought about all the other times that I’d killed and realized that… it was necessary, sometimes. As much as I wished it, the world wasn’t perfect, and wouldn’t listen unless you made yourself heard. Is this how I wanted to be heard? No. A story of violence is not the one I want to tell. My self reflection was interrupted by Scern’s voice, as he began to tell his tale. As it went on, I pulled out my notebook, because true or not, this story was one that deserved to be told, though I would have to ask him a few extra questions to make sure it was true….I wonder if anyone in the crowd knows how to detect lies….

The tiefling doesn't know what happens after his attack rips through Ziev's ethereal body. All he feels is the searing heat from the flames that have engulfed his body. The roar of the fire fills his ears while smoke spills out of his lungs. His skin flecks off like ash and his eyes burn with blue light.

It's painful.

Everything hurts.

Then everything is nothing. 

Snow and Eirynor rush over to help as they see the tiefling fall limply to the platform. But before they can reach the tiefling, Scern's spell takes effect and they are ripped from this pocket dimension and returned home where they were before the battle against Ziev began. 

Back in the chamber where the Sol Stone was previously housed, Zarius lays face down on the stone floor. The flames have all but died down, leaving his skin charred and himself barely holding onto his consciousness. He'd only felt this kind of exhaustion a few scarce times before. This time it was worse.

Pushing himself to roll onto his back, he breathes and glances around. The others looked like they faired better than he did.

Just his luck, he supposes.

With time, he eventually gets to his feet slowly, wincing as his skin crackles and a layer of ash sloughs off of him. While he would usually engage in the debate about what to do about Scern, his hazy memory of what exactly happened while they were trapped with Ziev in the sphere gives him pause. He looks down at his blackened skin just as the chorus of whispers tickle the back of his mind.

Finally.

An overwhelming feeling of needing to return to the Ash Lands overtakes him. He barely acknowledges his allies and friends before making his way out of the temple and disappearing into the blowing clouds of dust.