Re: [IC] Portents and Omens
Helena's words strike home to the Mountainson. Though unseen, he utters a gasp, and when Helena's glitterdust washes over him and the two steel-feathered birds, the invisible wizard is revealed to be plastered against the wall. The birds screech as the light burns in their eyes, giving the party more time react!
Urle charges in towards the mongrelfolk construct of earth, Demetria's hooves thundering on the floor of the vault as he bring his lance into position to skewer the creature through!
Teana's power over lightning washes across the vault, flying over Urle and Demetria to blast chunks from the construct to litter across the floor.
Davor invokes the favor of the spirits, and soon enough a celestial lantern archon appears, and can lash out with its rays at the Morningson, keeping the wizard from escaping or casting much in the way of bolstering spells to his allies.
The battle rages across the vault, the rock construct bashing aside Urle more than once, but Davor keeping him together as he chips away at the mighty edifice until it falls! Teana's magic lashes out at the Morningson, along with Davor and Helena, knowing the quickest way to bring down the wizard's allies was by stopping the wizard.
Urle is wounded, Teana blasted by the birds' lightning in a reversal of fate, and Davor is attacked from behind by smaller constructs of sharpened ceramics and metal shards. Helena is able to heal those who nearly fall, and continue to keep the Morningson off-balance with her words and her spells. As the battle climbs to a climax, a group of mongrelfolk return to see the rock construct fall into inert gravel, for the birds (much scorched and bloodied) fall to the earth, exhausted and wounded, but no longer controlled. For them to see the Morningson collapse into unconsciousness and injury, outdone by overbearing pride and control.
The mongrelfolk see, and suddenly they cheer! The group of mismatched creatures come into the room, laughing and grinning with their odd teeth and strange mouths, clapping with uneven hands and claws and pincers, coming to kneel before Helena, before Urle and Davor and Teana.
"You could have killed all of us, every single one, and you let us go. You didn't spend us, spend our blood, and let the Mountainson hide behind us. You are a better person than he!" one of them says, and reaches to kiss her hand. In the doorway to the vault, more mongrelfolk are watching and smiling.
The potential new Heir of the empire, along with three friends who came to answer the cause of loyalty, of honor, and of the spirits, can now all chart their new destiny: To start a new Empire? Perhaps. Or maybe just know how to use the power of the old one to make things better. Whatever they decide, they will have one another to turn to, to figure out how they will shape the world.
~Fin